Singapore orders Meta to disable posts showing man stepping on Quran

Singapore has ordered Meta Platforms to disable access to social media posts containing a video of a man stepping on the Quran, believed to have been recorded on a public bus in the country.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced the move in a press release issued on Sunday, 8 March 2026. Authorities said the original video is no longer available but had been reposted and circulated across other social media platforms.

Meta Platforms is the parent company of both Facebook and Instagram.

MHA and the Singapore Police Force jointly assessed that the video's content constitutes an offence of insulting the religion of another person under Section 17F(4) of the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act 1990.

In response, police issued Disabling Directions to Meta under the Online Criminal Harms Act 2023 (OCHA) to address the circulation of the material.

"We have issued five Disabling Directions to Meta to disable access to the content, and the posts containing the video are no longer accessible to end-users in Singapore," MHA stated.

Authorities also cautioned members of the public against reposting the video, even if the intent was to condemn the actions of the original poster.

"While some individuals may have reposted the video to condemn the actions of the original poster, doing so perpetuates the offensive content online," MHA said.

The public was advised to report such content to authorities rather than share it further on social media.

Police investigations into the matter remain ongoing.

MHA reaffirmed Singapore's position on threats to racial and religious cohesion, stating that the authorities take a strong stance against behaviour that undermines harmony in the country.

"We will not tolerate such behaviour, and offenders will be dealt with swiftly and firmly," MHA added.