Singapore passes new Online Safety Bill to empower government in crackdown on harmful content

Singapore's Parliament has passed a new law, the "Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Bill" (OSRA), granting authorities greater powers to block harmful content on social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. This legislation marks the city-state's latest effort to curb online harms.

During a parliamentary session on Wednesday, lawmakers passed the OSRA, which empowers the government to directly instruct internet companies, including major social media platforms, to remove content that is deemed harmful. This includes material that promotes sexual abuse or cyberbullying.

Failure to comply with the new law will constitute a criminal offense, and authorities may take further action, including blocking the app in Singapore.

Josephine Teo, Minister for Digital Development and Information, stressed the urgency of the law, saying, "Online threats are widespread today, eroding social norms and acceptable behaviour." She affirmed that the government will work closely with tech companies and civil society to ensure the law is enforced effectively.

Social media platforms have already been facing pressure in Singapore. In September, the Ministry of Home Affairs ordered Meta (Facebook) to take stronger action against scam advertisements and fake accounts. Meta was also required to implement facial recognition systems and prioritise the handling of user reports from Singapore.

Additionally, Google has committed to introducing an age verification system by next year to prevent users under 18 from accessing inappropriate content.

Alongside OSRA, Parliament also passed a bill imposing severe penalties for scammers. Individuals convicted of fraud or conspiracy will face up to 24 strokes of the cane as punishment.