Singapore consumers grow wary of data use in digital ads: report

Time spent on digital content remains high, with users averaging 6 hours and 44 minutes per week on social media.

AI tools like ChatGPT have become part of everyday digital discovery in Singapore, but users increasingly expect brands to adopt these technologies transparently and ethically.

According to a report by Meltwater and We Are Social, 98.4% of Singapore’s population is online, and 90.6% are active social media users.

Time spent on digital content remains high, with users averaging 6 hours and 44 minutes per week on social media, 5 hours and 38 minutes on short-form videos, and 5 hours and 18 minutes on streaming television.

Trust and privacy concerns are also on the rise. More than 71% of users expressed worry about online misinformation. Over one-third regularly decline cookies (36.8%) and share concerns about how companies handle their personal data (34.4%).

E-commerce continues to expand rapidly. Around 4.7 million people in Singapore shop online, up 9% from 2025, driving total annual spending to $7.65b or around US$5.63b, nearly $1b higher than the previous year.

Mobile dominates, accounting for over 70% of purchases. Top spending categories include fashion, electronics, and food.

During major shopping events like 11.11, Shopee emerged as the platform with the widest reach, whilst TikTok Shop led in engagement through creator-led content and livestreams.

If you've been wondering whether SBR could work for your company — yes, probably.

A lot of the companies we partner with started as readers. They'd been following our coverage for a while, saw their own customers and competitors in it, and eventually asked the obvious question: could we do something with you? The answer is usually yes. The shape of it depends on what you're trying to do.

The options are broader than most people assume — thought leadership articles, sponsored content, industry summits across Southeast Asia, regional awards programmes, podcasts, and media placements in print and digital. Some partners use one channel; most use a mix. We figure out the right combination by starting with your brief, not with our rate card.

So if the question has been on your mind, here's the easy way to ask it.

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