SINGAPORE Lays Out Proposals To Shield Young Social Media Users from Harmful Content; Seeks Public Feedback

Posted by Asia Views | Jul 14, 2022 | 0 |

Today/CNA-July 13

A public consultation was launched on Wednesday (July 13) to seek views on the Government’s proposed measures to enhance online safety for users of social media platforms, including young people. There are two sets of proposals announced by the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) in June.

The first, a Code of Practice for Online Safety, will require social media services with significant reach or impact to have system-wide processes to mitigate exposure to harmful online content for Singapore-based users, including people below the age of 18. The second, a Content Code for Social Media Services, will allow Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to direct any social media service to disable local access to content that is deemed harmful to Singapore’s society, such as online material that incites racial or religious disharmony. “We recognize that some social media services have put in place measures to protect their users. However, such measures vary from service to service,” said MCI in its public consultation paper. “Additionally, when evaluating harmful content on social media services, Singapore’s unique socio-cultural context needs to be considered. Given the evolving nature of harmful online content, more can be done, especially to protect young users.”

Under the Code of Practice for Online Safety, authorities are considering requiring designated social media services to have community standards for six categories of content — sexual content, violence, self-harm, cyberbullying, content endangering public health and content facilitating vice and organized crime. In addition to ongoing consultations with technology companies, MCI said it will also engage key stakeholder groups, including parents, youths, community partners and academics. The public consultation will take place from July 13 to Aug 10. Members of the public are invited to submit their responses via the survey form on the Reach website by 6pm on Aug 10. Read more at: https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/singapore-lays-out-proposals-shield-young-social-media-users-harmful-content-seeks-public-feedback-1942991

About The Author

Asia Views

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Neigborhood Watch

Subscribe To Newsletter

POINTS TO PONDER

EXTRICATING NDONESIAN CHILDREN FROM ISIS INFLUENCE ABROAD

Indonesia urgently needs to revisit the possibility of repatriating the neediest of its young citizens stranded abroad, whose families had earlier joined ISIS. Most of these children are in camps in northern Syria but there are also small numbers in the Philippines, Afghanistan and Iraq. “Extricating Indonesian Children from ISIS Influence Abroad”, the latest report from the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) argues that the government could begin by bringing back small groups of unaccompanied children under ten years of age, who pose minimal security risk and are most vulnerable to deteriorating conditions in the camps.“The problem is that health and security conditions are worsening by the day in the Syrian camps, and the children are growing older,” says Dyah Kartika, IPAC analyst. “They need access to schools, a nurturing environment, and medical attention. If the government waits too long, the children will be further exposed to ISIS ideology.” The new report examines a 2019 list of Indonesians in camps and prisons run by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Indonesian government has been trying to verify their citizenship, but with pseudonyms, misspellings and bad transliterations, it is a daunting task. At the time the data was collected, between March and June 2019, there were 555 Indonesians in SDF camps and prisons, including 367 children. Among the children, approximately 277 were under the age of ten and 34 were unaccompanied. In June 2021, there are fewer than ten children who are both unaccompanied and under the age of ten that could be prioritized for return. Bringing back children of ISIS families is no easy task. The report analyses the main challenges faced by the Indonesian government. These include definitional issues, bureaucratic competition, the difficulty of verifying nationality, evaluating the toll of exposure to conflict, assessing security risk, and finding relatives or others willing to provide care once the children are returned. In addition, COVID has meant stringent restrictions on travel, placing further obstacles in the way of repatriation. There are several models for rehabilitation of children exposed to violent extremism in Indonesia that could be modified to accommodate the needs of children repatriated from abroad. The report examines these models and argues that the government does not need to have every detail of rehabilitation programs in place before it starts extricating children from ISIS influence. It can start by bringing back the most vulnerable children and then modify programs as needed.

“It’s important that the government see these children as victims” says Dyah. “They deserve a chance to be children again.”

SINGAPORE Lays Out Proposals To Shield Young Social Media Users from Harmful Content; Seeks Public Feedback

Share this:

Related

About The Author

Asia Views

Related Posts

PHILIPPINES:BEAUTY PAGEANTS AND IDENTITY POLITICS

MALAYSIA: 131 Suspected Online Scammers from China Fined for Immigration Offences

INDONESIA’S Middle-Strength Passport Remains a Travel Barrier For Some

CYBER VIOLENCE, A NEW EMERGING REALITY FOR MANY INDONESIAN WOMEN

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Neigborhood Watch

TRENDING

Subscribe To Newsletter

POINTS TO PONDER