SINGAPORE: Social media services may soon be directed to “disable access” to harmful content or disallow accounts that have such content, the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) said on Monday (Jun 20).
The Government is consulting on two proposed codes of practice to enhance online safety. The first is for designated social media services with high reach or high risk to have system-wide processes to enhance online safety for all users, with additional safeguards for young users under 18.
The second proposal is that the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) may direct any social media service to remove specified types of “egregious content”.
Communications and Information Minister Josephine Teo announced in March this year that the Government will introduce the new codes to combat harmful online content on services that is accessible to users in Singapore.
Under the first code, social media services must have in place and effect community standards and content moderation mechanisms to “mitigate users’ exposure” to certain harmful content.
They should also provide tools for users to reduce and mitigate their exposure to unwanted content.
The social media platforms should proactively detect and remove child sexual exploitation and abuse material, as well as terrorism content.
Users should be allowed to report harmful content and unwanted interactions and this reporting mechanism must be easy to use and permanently available.
Social media services must also produce an annual accountability report for publishing on IMDA's website.
The second proposed code of practice covers content areas assessed to be “egregious online harms” on social media platforms.
These include safety in relation to sexual harm, self-harm or public health. The areas of concern also include public security and racial or religious disharmony, or intolerance.
“For the proposed content code for social media services, IMDA will be granted powers to direct any social media service accessible from Singapore to disable access to specified types of egregious harmful content or disallow specified online accounts to communicate such content and/or interact with users in Singapore,” said MCI in a fact sheet.
Industry consultations started this month, and will be followed by a public consultation July.
MCI said that globally, the prevalence of online harm is a “major concern”.
“While many online services have undertaken efforts to address this issue, the prevalence of online harms remain concerning,” it said, adding that these online harms are exacerbated when they are amplified on social media.
According to a poll by Sunlight Alliance for Action in January, nearly half of more than 1,000 Singaporeans who responded said they experienced online harm. About 61 per cent of them experienced online harm on popular social media services.
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The Government is consulting on two proposed codes of practice to enhance online safety. The first is for designated social media services with high reach or high risk to have system-wide processes to enhance online safety for all users, with additional safeguards for young users under 18.
The second proposal is that the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) may direct any social media service to remove specified types of “egregious content”.
Communications and Information Minister Josephine Teo announced in March this year that the Government will introduce the new codes to combat harmful online content on services that is accessible to users in Singapore.
Under the first code, social media services must have in place and effect community standards and content moderation mechanisms to “mitigate users’ exposure” to certain harmful content.
They should also provide tools for users to reduce and mitigate their exposure to unwanted content.
The social media platforms should proactively detect and remove child sexual exploitation and abuse material, as well as terrorism content.
Users should be allowed to report harmful content and unwanted interactions and this reporting mechanism must be easy to use and permanently available.
Social media services must also produce an annual accountability report for publishing on IMDA's website.
The second proposed code of practice covers content areas assessed to be “egregious online harms” on social media platforms.
These include safety in relation to sexual harm, self-harm or public health. The areas of concern also include public security and racial or religious disharmony, or intolerance.
“For the proposed content code for social media services, IMDA will be granted powers to direct any social media service accessible from Singapore to disable access to specified types of egregious harmful content or disallow specified online accounts to communicate such content and/or interact with users in Singapore,” said MCI in a fact sheet.
Industry consultations started this month, and will be followed by a public consultation July.
MCI said that globally, the prevalence of online harm is a “major concern”.
“While many online services have undertaken efforts to address this issue, the prevalence of online harms remain concerning,” it said, adding that these online harms are exacerbated when they are amplified on social media.
According to a poll by Sunlight Alliance for Action in January, nearly half of more than 1,000 Singaporeans who responded said they experienced online harm. About 61 per cent of them experienced online harm on popular social media services.
Continue reading...