Govt Considering New Laws to Deal With Harmful Content on Internet Platforms

If you’ve been keeping your eyes on the news, you’ll know that the government’s been looking towards regulating the Internet.

First POFMA, then the tax on e-commerce.

And now, harmful content on Internet platforms.

Govt Considering New Laws to Deal With Harmful Content on Internet Platforms

On 1 Mar 2021, Second Minister of Home Affairs Josephine Teo revealed that the Singapore government is looking to regulate content on internet platforms.

She was responding to Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang GRC) who asked about how Singapore plans to counter harmful content here.

Raising the case of how a Singaporean 16-year-old boy was radicalised by extremist online content, Ms Teo says examples of harmful content include:

• Extremist content like the 2019 livestream of the Christchurch shooting and the shooter’s manifesto
• The unapproved sharing of voyeuristic and intimate photos and videos

She brought up the possibility that this move might entail introducing new laws:

“This may include new regulatory levers, to enable us to deal with serious online harms effectively.”

Online Platforms Might Have Different Values

The Internet has made spreading harmful content swift and easy.

While some online platforms might’ve tried to deal with harmful content, not all of them put society’s interest first, Ms Teo said.

Which is expected, she added, as these platforms will prioritise their own values and commercial interests.

For example, she said while online platforms acted to take the Christchurch shooting offline, the footage was still available hours after it was first uploaded.

The footage radicalised a 16-year-old Singaporean who became the youngest to be detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

He had made detailed plans to attack two mosques in Woodlands.

Other Countries Have Implemented Such Regulations

Singapore isn’t the first country to think of doing this.

Ms Teo pointed out that Germany has already introduced laws that require online platforms to respond to users’ complaints about harmful content.

The UK also introduced the Online Harms Bill in December 2020 which allows them to block online platforms or fine them up to 10% of their global revenue for not removing harmful content.

Currently, her ministry and the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) are working together to study the regulatory models in other countries and their experiences.

As we can already tell from the Singapore Government’s track record, when they say they’re looking to do it, chances are they’ll be doing it.

Will a petition be signed again? Will people protest the heavy-handed approach? I guess only time will tell.

One thing for sure, though, be sure to download the Goody Feed app because we’ll be here to cover the latest happenings in Singapore for you.

On a separate note, you can read more about the radicalised teenager here.

Feature Image: Dragon Images / Shutterstock.com