S'pore govt considering social media age limit after Australia's under-16 ban

The Singapore government will consider the effectiveness of mandating age limits for social media to protect children and youths from its harms, said Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Rahayu Mahzam in parliament on Jan. 7.

This came after Australia approved a social media ban for children under 16 to protect youths last November.

"The stated objective of legislating age limits for social media access is to protect children and youth from its harms," Rahayu said. "We share the same objective and will continue to study the effectiveness of mandating age limits."

She was responding to questions by West Coast GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Foo Mee Har and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh on the effectiveness of such age limits and whether the Singapore government is considering similar legislation.

S'pore govt engaging Australian counterparts, social media platforms

The law passed in Australia's parliament forces social media companies Instagram, Meta and TikTok to prevent minors from logging in or being fined up to A$49.5 million (S$42.2 million), Reuters reported.

The ban is set to take effect after a one-year trial.

Rahayu said that the Singapore government is engaging Australian counterparts and social media platforms to solicit their views, which will inform their thinking on the next steps.

Nevertheless, Rahayu noted that such bans raise questions about how authorities would assess the extent of violations and where the line would be drawn if younger users turned to accessing unregulated platforms or services.

What's currently being done in S'pore

Rahayu highlighted the steps in Singapore to protect children and youths on social media.

She mentioned the code of practice for online safety, introduced in 2023, which requires social media platforms to implement measures to protect minors.

These include restrictive account settings for minors, tools for parents to monitor their children's social media usage, and measures to ensure children are not targeted to receive content detrimental to their physical or mental well-being.

Rahayu said the government has taken steps to require the implementation of age assurance methods, such as using technology to estimate the user's age and verifying age via the submission of official documents.

An upcoming code of practice on online safety will require designated app stores to implement measures restricting children's access to inappropriate apps for their age.

Rahayu added that complementary efforts have been stepped up in public education, as well as by industry and community partners, to equip and educate parents and children on how to be safe online.

Initiatives include cyber wellness lessons in the Ministry of Education (MOE)'s character and citizenship wellness curriculum, government-launched parenting initiatives and digital resources for online safety.

"We are constantly looking to do better, and I welcome members and everyone's suggestions. Ensuring online safety is a whole-of-society effort, and everyone can play their part", Rahayu said.

IMDA to publish findings from compliance reports

Foo questioned Rahayu about the adequacy of the current legislative framework, which she felt depends on social media platforms.

Foo also asked if the government had drawn any insights from the compliance reports submitted by such platforms under this framework.

In response, Rahayu said that IMDA is in the midst of assessing the reports and plans to publish their findings soon.

She added that IMDA will be learning from this exercise and look to improve the safeguards and processes required of companies.

Rahayu also clarified that the current guidelines imposed on social media platforms under the Online Safety Code already subject them to penalties for non-compliance if they fail to meet their obligations.

'Collaborative approach' between govt and tech companies

Singh noted that the Australian social media ban puts the onus back on companies, rather than on parents or children, with regard to online safety.

He asked if the Singapore government believes that social media companies will respond proactively to the requirements imposed on them.

In response, Rahayu said the Singapore government has taken a "very collaborative approach" with the technology companies.

"We have been very stern and strict in making sure that they comply with some of the requirements that we have set forth, but we also want to ensure that this is something that can be sustainable and meaningful."

She added that the annual reports submitted by the companies will allow the government to assess their performance and put in place other requirements they deem necessary.

"This is going to be the foundation of how we can then move forward, in either strengthening levers or actually seeing what are the other measures that we can put in place to provide the necessary safeguards and protection for our children."

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