Singapore speeds response to online harms
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The Singapore Government is collaborating with online platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok, to accelerate their responses to harmful online content.
Law Minister Edwin Tong announced the initiative to improve protections for victims of online abuse, building on the recently passed Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act. Currently, platforms must respond to reports of online harms within six to 48 hours, depending on the severity.
The government intends to shorten these response times as platforms become more familiar with the new legal framework. Victims can currently report harms by submitting forms to the Ministry of Law, but officials aim to streamline this process by having platforms offer direct, easy-to-use reporting channels. The Online Safety Commission has already received over 500 reports since launching two months ago, which will inform future improvements.
Singapore’s Children’s Society highlighted the importance of quick responses, noting that harmful content can spread rapidly among young people. The government also plans to address challenges like serving legal documents to international parties and ensuring relief for victims when original harmful content is no longer available but continues to circulate. Ultimately, officials hope to reduce the number of people needing assistance from the Online Safety Commission by proactively preventing online harms.
