Singapore agency addresses online harms with new powers
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The Online Safety Commission (OSC) in Singapore received over 500 reports of online harm in its first two months of operation, beginning June 29. The youngest victim reporting harm was a seven-year-old who experienced doxing, the practice of revealing personal information online.
The OSC was created to respond more quickly to victims’ complaints than platforms had previously, and it now has the authority to order the removal of harmful content.
The agency is currently focused on five key areas: intimate image abuse, image-based child abuse, doxing, online harassment, and online stalking, with doxing and harassment accounting for the majority of eligible reports. The OSC resolved over 90 percent of eligible cases, typically by requiring platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to remove harmful content or restrict accounts.
The OSC can enforce its directions using the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act, which allows for fines up to $20,000 and jail terms up to 12 months for individuals, or fines up to $500,000 for companies that do not comply. Singapore’s Commissioner of Online Safety, Francis Ng, also noted that the agency is working to educate people who post harmful content and increase public awareness of the OSC’s services.
