Singapore in talks with Australia over social media ban for young users

Singapore shares the same objectives as Australia in legislating age limits for social media access to protect young users and is engaging its Australian counterparts and social media platforms to understand their views, said Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Rahayu Mahzam in Parliament on Jan 7.

In one of the strictest internet crackdowns on online harms to date, Australia late in 2024 passed a law banning children under 16 from accessing social media.

While it is not entirely clear how the Australian law would be enforced when it kicks in later in 2025, MPs here have asked whether Singapore would consider similar measures to further safeguard children and teenagers on social media platforms.

Ms Foo Mee Har (West Coast GRC) asked: “What is the Government’s current assessment of the effectiveness of such bans in protecting young users from online harms?”

In her reply, Ms Rahayu said: “The stated objective of legislating age limits for social media access is to protect children and youth from its harms.

“We share the same objective and will continue to study the effectiveness of mandating age limits.”

In considering a ban, factors such as how the authorities will evaluate the severity of violations by young users and how to address the shift to unregulated platforms will need to be carefully examined, said Ms Rahayu.  

She said: “We are engaging our Australian counterparts and social media platforms to understand their views. This will help inform our thinking on the next steps.”

Leader of the Opposition and Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh also asked whether social media companies work proactively on matters of online safety.

“Is the Government of the view that, in Singapore at least, these social media companies respond quite proactively to the requirements the Government puts on them with regard to online safety?” asked Mr Singh.

He cited a foreign relations panel discussion with Australia’s eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant, who was quoted as saying that the onus for internet safety has long been placed on parents and children, but the burden needs to be put back on the platforms to protect young users.

Ms Grant, in interviews on her policies, has often drawn parallels between the responsibilities of tech platforms today and car manufacturers in the past mandating seat belts and other safety measures.

“Back then, car manufacturers pushed back, but now they compete on safety,” Mr Singh quoted the commissioner as saying, adding that the law is intended to change the norms within the industry.

Australia’s ban sets a benchmark for countries tackling online harms, including Singapore.

Inspired by Australia’s one-stop agency – the eSafety Commissioner – the Republic is setting up an online safety centre to provide victims with quicker access to assistance.

Ms Rahayu said Singapore has made headway in regulating the space.  

She said the Republic has taken a collaborative approach with tech firms and introduces safeguards in an iterative process, citing online safety compliance reports that social media services had to submit to the authorities in 2024 under the Code of Practice for Online Safety.

The Infocomm Media Development Authority is in the midst of assessing the reports, which aim to foster transparency among the platforms and gather information on what they are already doing to ensure safety, said Ms Rahayu, adding that the findings will be published shortly.

The Code of Practice for Online Safety also requires major social media services to implement more stringent measures, such as restrictive account settings and tools for parents to manage their children’s safety.

Ms Rahayu said of the social media services: “We have been stern and strict in making sure that they comply with the requirements that we have set forth, but we want to ensure that this is sustainable and meaningful.” 

She added that the impact of social media usage on children is not conclusive.

“While it has been linked to mental health issues, social media has also been shown to help children develop social skills and build connections with their peers,” said Ms Rahayu.

Source: Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

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