2024 wrapped: From NRIC number saga to outages, the biggest tech stories of the year

SINGAPORE - There was no shortage of innovation and disruptions in the technology sector in 2024.

Among the disruptions were tech outages on an unprecedented scale, including a global blackout linked to cyber-security firm CrowdStrike and a prolonged landline failure in Singapore that affected emergency hotlines for hours.

Elsewhere, artificial intelligence continued to advance, with more applications emerging in both business and consumer domains – accompanied by challenges such as scams and increasingly convincing deepfakes.

Here is an overview of key developments in the tech scene and what is to come in 2025.

1. NRIC number saga

A misunderstanding of an internal government circular

and lack of coordination between government staff led to the disclosure of full NRIC numbers on business portal Bizfile, launched by the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (Acra) on Dec 9.

Bizfile users

could freely look up the full NRIC numbers of registered individuals,

including top representatives of businesses.

Acra

shut down the feature on Dec 13

. It did not reveal how many NRIC numbers were exposed during the incident, which raised concerns over an increasing threat of scams, as fraudsters could have used simple algorithms to collect the NRIC numbers exposed during this window at scale.

The Ministry of Digital Development and Information said the move by Acra, while a misunderstanding, is part of a larger government effort to

do away with the masking of NRIC numbers

.

This is intended to protect Singaporeans from the vulnerabilities and risks associated with the incorrect practice of using the number as a way to prove a person is who they claim to be, rather than an identifier,

said Digital Development and Information Minister Josephine Teo

.

The shift will begin with the public sector, but the impact on private businesses remains unclear, as the authorities have yet to engage with them regarding their current practices of handling NRIC numbers. In the meantime, private organisations are urged to stop using NRIC numbers to authenticate users.

2. Outages

On July 19, a routine software update failed at CrowdStrike, causing millions of computers globally to crash, disrupting banks, transportation services and media outlets,

among many other organisations

. Airlines in particular were badly hit. At Changi Airport, some flights were delayed and the check-in processes for more than 10 carriers had to be handled manually.

Singaporeans will also remember Singtel’s landline outage in October, which cut off calls to the police, paramedics and other public lines. Preliminary findings found that

a backup system had failed to kick in,

resulting in the service disruption.

The disruptions are a stark reminder of the

need for contingency plans

even as more modern services are digitalised.

The Singtel outage, which disrupted emergency hotlines for the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force, has triggered a review of their hotline backup measures, including options such as relying on multiple telco services for emergency hotlines.

While neither agency received public reports of urgent calls that could not get assistance during the landline disruption, many people noted the incident was a close shave for emergency services.

3. Renewed Smart Nation plan

In October, Singapore

updated its Smart Nation strategy,

shifting from its earlier emphasis on promoting the use of technology to focusing on its deployment to enhance quality of life and create more economic opportunities.

Outlining the renewed plan, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said Singapore must advance the use of technology to support people and businesses in order to thrive in a digital world. It will do so by developing talent and tapping research and development, especially in artificial intelligence (AI) – a field that received a $120 million investment targeted at scientific research.

Smart Nation 2.0 also involves outreach efforts and new laws as part of a plan to build online safety and trust amid the threat of scams, disinformation and tech-induced social issues that has plagued digitalisation efforts.

The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated digitalisation efforts, like digital payment systems and online enterprise platforms, as it created a pressing need for contactless payments and e-commerce solutions. This momentum aligned with Singapore’s digital adoption goals under the first Smart Nation initiative launched in 2014.

Now, Smart Nation 2.0 serves as a strategic road map for advancing digitalisation over the next decade and will shape policy, education and Singapore’s overall approach to digital growth.

4. Crackdown on scams

The year began with a

major effort to stamp out malware scams on Android devices

by blocking the installation of apps from unverified sources outside the Google Play Store requiring suspicious permissions, such as those that grant the ability to spy on SMS messages.

Malware-enabled scams fell by 86.2 per cent to 95 cases in the first half of 2024, according to the police, which attributed the drop-off to

anti-malware measures deployed by banks

and enhanced protection features for Android devices.

Local banks also

implemented a “money lock” feature

that allows customers to prevent locked funds from being transferred out digitally. At least 180,000 customers have used the feature as at Oct 31.

In addition, the authorities have announced plans

to allow the police to block a potential scam victim’s transactions on online banking services

. If passed, the new law would make Singapore the first country to grant the police powers to directly control the bank accounts of victims, in a bid to stop victims voluntarily transferring money to scammers.

Clear standards for who bears the cost of scams

were also spelt out. Financial institutions will have to alert customers to outgoing transactions in real time and maintain a 24-hour reporting channel, among other responsibilities, or be liable to foot the bill for scams.

5. Deepfakes hit Singapore

Deepfakes – videos manipulated to mimic real people – have hit our shores, with a slew of clips aimed at harassing individuals or disseminating disinformation. In one of the earliest cases of deepfake pornography here, the police are investigating the

creation and distribution of deepfake nude images of Singapore Sports School students

by their peers – actions that the school has strongly condemned.

Deepfake videos of public figures like Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong have made the rounds online, depicting them

promoting investment products or false claims

.

Deepfakes, while often poorly rendered, will present a headache for the public, content platforms and law enforcement as they become more realistic. Their sources are often difficult to verify.

Singapore is preparing

a new law to tackle deepfakes of political candidates

ahead of the general election in 2025. Once in force, the law will ban the publication of online content that realistically depicts any candidate doing something that he did not do.

Looking ahead

1. Helping victims of online harms

Measures to support victims of deepfakes, cyber bullying and other online harms are expected to be rolled out in 2025.

Victims can seek faster recourse

through a government agency

that will act on their behalf to deal with perpetrators and social media platforms to enforce the swift take-down of harmful material.

The agency will also be empowered by a new law to improve protections for victims,

following years of lobbying

by advocates and social workers for new policies to help victims seek redress quickly.

2. Social media shake-up

It is yet to be seen what the US will do about its impending ban on social media platform TikTok if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, does not sell the app by Jan 19, 2025.

TikTok’s owners are in a fight to reverse the decision, which was made amid security concerns over the app.

President-elect Donald Trump has given hope to TikTok, which has more than one billion users globally, to continue its operation in the US after he

urged the Supreme Court to pause the ban

.

Separately, Singapore is

expecting new measures to deal with device use

among children in the light of concerns over social media addiction and its associated mental health harms.

3. AI: Show us the money

Companies and investors are seeking profits to justify the computing costs of AI.

Executives are growing impatient for tangible returns from AI, as projects are often stuck in testing phases, according to research by Boston Consulting Group.

More than a third of Singaporean business executives surveyed by software firm Qlik have multiple AI projects in the planning stages but are not yet fully deployed, owing to budget and data collection constraints, lack of talent or poor performance.

In other AI matters, get used to hearing a new buzzword in AI: Agentic AI.

The innovation is tipped as

a new wave of AI,

with tech players chasing the new technology, which builds on generative AI and makes decisions on behalf of users.

4. AI chip wars

With a growing demand for AI, there is room for more chipmakers to challenge Nvidia’s dominance in powering AI workloads.

Other tech giants such as AMD and Amazon are in the running to offer alternatives for AI chips that can power AI models supporting chatbots and other applications.

Global competition, too, is expected to heat up, with Trump expected to tighten restrictions on Chinese access to advanced chips even further, as the US and China lock horns on multiple sectors.

5. Punggol Digital District

The Punggol Digital District – Singapore’s take on Silicon Valley – will complete its first phase, comprising offices and mixed-use spaces,

by early 2025

.

More than 65 per cent of the district’s commercial spaces have been leased, with tenants expected to move in from mid-2025 as part of a progressive opening.

The district, home to

Punggol Coast MRT station

and the Singapore Institute of Technology, will serve as a test bed for urban technology, focusing on emissions reduction and robotics, among other innovations.