Today-Nov 10
Parliament on Wednesday (Nov 9) passed a Bill to protect Singaporeans from harmful online content, though several Members of Parliament (MPs) called for the law to cover more kinds of online harm. The Online Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill gives the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) the power to issue directions to online communication services to ensure Singapore users are protected from harmful online content such as sexual violence and terrorism. This could include disabling access by Singapore users to such content or blocking their access to platforms carrying such material. Providers who fail to comply with these directions could be subjected to fines. Under the new law, social media services are also required to implement measures on their services to mitigate the risks of danger to Singapore users from exposure to harmful content. According to a press release on the Bill by the Ministry of Communications and Information on Oct 3, harmful content includes those that
advocate suicide or self-harm, advocate physical or sexual violence, advocate terrorism, depict child sexual exploitation, pose a public health risk in Singapore, are likely to cause racial and religious disharmony in Singapore. Some MPs called for the legislation to have an even broader reach, covering content such as animal abuse and material that promotes unrealistic beauty standards. Another issue raised by several MPs was the curtailing of democratic freedom, given that the law would provide IMDA with the power to block harmful content. Read more at: https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/bill-passed-protect-online-harm-free-speech-curbs-2041236
