From 31 Mar, App Stores in S’pore Must Block Underage Users from Downloading Age-Inappropriate Apps

By
Kacey Tan
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For parents of children under 18 out there, here’s some good news: you can now worry less about your children meeting chi ko pehs on the internet.

On 15 January 2025, The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) announced the issuance of a Code of Practice for Online Safety for App Distribution Services, that will take effect from 31 March 2025. 

According to IMDA, this Code of Practice will require designated App Distribution Services (ADSs), such as the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, to put in place system-level measures to curtail the risk of exposure to harmful and inappropriate content, particularly for children and teenagers. 

With this, here is a word of advice for those feeling “young at heart” (but are in reality already growing grey hair, developing wrinkles, and constantly lamenting “everywhere also pain”): don’t lie about your age when asked by these ADSs, because this will simply mess up your chances of finding “The One” on the dating apps.  

These measures include implementing parental controls, content moderation and age assurance measures. 

For example, users below 18 years old will be disallowed from downloading apps such as the Tinder and the adult action game Grand Theft Auto.

Children below 12 years of age will also be unable to download apps like Instagram and TikTok… finally, no more cringey primary school TikTok influencer wannabes appearing on my for you page.

If these measures are not upheld properly by the ADSs, they may be warned, suspended, or banned from the reported app(s).

“Gahmen Needs to Chill Out” 

Another day, another law that the government pushes out to control us Singaporeans, some readers may think. 

However, the problem is much bigger and prevalent than one may realise.

There have been several cases of underage users on dating apps and sites being groomed sexually and taken advantage of: in 2017, an American mixed martial arts instructor met several 15 year old girls on dating sites and took advantage of them; just two years ago, a religious teacher was charged for preying on an 11 year old boy on Grindr; and of course, not to forget, the Dee Kosh saga–and these are just the ones that have been reported.

Gahmen Cannot Do Everything Ah

Even with this Code of Practice, parents and guardians of young users still have a crucial role to play in preventing them from being exposed to inappropriate content. 

At some point, however, nagging at your children and telling them to “STOP USING YOUR PHONES” becomes useless. 

Instead, IMDA encourages parents to utilise in-app tools available to supervise and manage children’s use of apps, by limiting public visibility of their accounts, controlling who can interact with their accounts, and more.

If you watch at least 10 minutes of brain rot content daily, you must know this:

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Kacey Tan