Singapore has been making concerted efforts towards enhancing the safety of digital spaces for Singapore users, particularly for children. This is in recognition of the inherent risks posed by harmful online content, and the amplification of such risks through the proliferation of social media services.
The Ministry of Communications and Information ("MCI") had, earlier in 2022, given an indication of what changes and enhancements may be expected in the digital regulatory and compliance framework, including the introduction of codes of practice for online platforms to protect Singaporeans against harmful online content. The proposed measures have been steadily advancing along the course of implementation, and are now being further developed, with new legislation being introduced in Parliament, and responses to public feedback on the proposed measures.
From 13 July 2022 to 10 August 2022, MCI conducted a Public Consultation on Proposed Measures to Enhance Online Safety for Users in Singapore ("Public Consultation"). On 29 September 2022, MCI released a summary of its responses to the feedback received from the Public Consultation, giving further indication of the direction that the proposed measures may take. The proposed measures raised in the Public Consultation include: (i) Code of Practice for Online Safety, which sets out the required measures and safeguards against harmful content to be implemented by designated social media services; and (ii) Content Code for Social Media Services, which empowers the Infocomm Media Development Authority ("IMDA") to direct social media services to disable access to harmful content.
On 3 October 2022, the Online Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill ("Bill") was introduced in Parliament. If passed, the Bill will empower IMDA to better regulate online communication services accessible by Singapore end-users and give effect to the proposed measures. The main proposed amendment in the Bill include: (i) allowing IMDA to issue blocking directions to online communication services to deal with "egregious content"; and (ii) empowering IMDA to issue online Codes of Practice for providers of regulated online communication service.
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