The Info-communications Media Development Authority (Amendment) Bill (“Bill“), which proposes amendments to the Infocomm Media Development Authority (“IMDA“) Act 2016 (“IMDA Act“), was passed in Parliament on 7 May 2026. The Bill seeks to strengthen the competition and consumer protection regulatory framework for the media sector and align it with that for the telecommunication sector. The amendments will also provide additional powers of oversight to IMDA to ensure fair competition in the media sector and safeguard consumer interests, as well as reduce the regulatory burden on the media industry.
The key amendments include the following:
- Broadening the oversight of ownership and control changes in the media sector: Currently, only acquisitions, mergers or consolidations between regulated persons (“RPs“) or between RPs and ancillary media services require IMDA’s prior approval. Under the Bill, the approval threshold has been expanded such that transactions by any person that result in the acquisition of 30% or more equity interests or voting power in an RP, effective control over its operations, or the person taking over the RP’s media business as a going concern will require IMDA’s prior approval.
- Powers for more timely intervention: The Bill provides for the following additional powers of IMDA:
- power to issue directions if, among other things, there is a contravention of the amended consolidation provisions;
- power to issue directions to RPs and owners or controllers of essential resources to maintain fair and efficient market conduct and effective competition in the media industry in Singapore or to safeguard interests of consumers by promoting fair, transparent and reliable provision of media services;
- power to obtain information (i) to ascertain a person’s equity interest or voting power in a RP; and (ii) for carrying out IMDA’s functions and duties in relation to the designation of a media resource as an essential resource; and
- authority to approve any document not prepared by IMDA as a code of practice or standard of performance, if the document is considered as suitable.
- Streamlined treatment of immaterial transactions: To reduce the regulatory burden, provision has been made to enable immaterial transactions that do not require IMDA’s approval to be prescribed in subsidiary legislation. IMDA has indicated that, for transactions that do not result in changes to the voting power held by shareholders of an RP (i.e. pro forma transactions), there shall no longer be a requirement to obtain IMDA’s prior approval. For consistency across both telecommunication and media sectors, there shall instead be a requirement to inform IMDA of pro forma.
Click on the following link for more information:
- Factsheet titled “Amendments to the IMDA Act” (available on the IMDA website at www.imda.gov.sg)
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