Netflix Took Down 2 Shows From Its S’pore Platform After IMDA Issued Written Takedown Demands

As we all know, the three toughest things to do in life these days are:

  1. Meeting the ‘one’
  2. Determining the right career path
  3. Choosing a show on Netflix Singapore to watch

Number 3, certainly the most difficult, has plagued humans for several years.

What starts out as an exciting date night of Netflix and Chill evolves into a two-hour nightmare of indecision as both you and your significant other spend hours checking the ratings of every single show on the platform.

The reason for this is that Netflix has around 15,000 titles at the moment, meaning you’ll never run out of things to watch.

But the show-selection process may be slightly easier for Singaporeans now, as they’ll have two fewer titles to pick from.

Netflix Took Down 2 Shows From Its S’pore Platform After IMDA Issued Written Takedown Demands

Netflix has taken down two shows with drug-related content from its platform in Singapore, after the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) issued written takedown demands.

The series Cooked with Cannabis and the film Have A Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics were removed in May and August last year respectively.

Cooked with Cannabis, as the name suggests, is a competitive cooking show where three chefs make cannabis-infused meals for a chance to win $10,000.

Have A Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics, on the other hand, is a documentary where celebrities talk about their experiences with psychedelic substances.

In its annual Environmental Social Governance report, Netflix also reported removing two shows from Turkey, in addition to the two in Singapore.

Requested Other Removals in the Past

According to IndieWire, Singapore has been the most restrictive country for Netflix from 2015 to 2020.

Last year, Netflix released a list of movies and television projects that have been banned from streaming on its platform in that period.

“We offer creators the ability to reach audiences all around the world. In some cases we’ve also been forced to remove specific titles or episodes of titles in specific countries due to government takedown demands,” the company said.

In total, the streaming giant has taken down nine TV shows and movies from its platform at the behest of governments, more than half of which Singapore was responsible for.

According to Netflix, Singapore issued takedown requests for five projects, including:

  • The Last Hangover
  • The Last Temptation of Christ
  • Cooking on High
  • The Legend of 420
  • Disjointed

Other takedown requests had been issued by Germany, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, and Vietnam.

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