Social media sites in Singapore could be blocked or fined if they fail to prevent users in the tightly controlled country from accessing “harmful” content under a proposed law tabled in parliament on Monday.
Under the bill, regulators could order social media platforms to block “objectionable content” including posts advocating violence and terrorism or depicting child sexual abuse.
Content that poses a threat to public health or is likely to cause racial and religious discrimination in Singapore is also included, the Ministry of Communications and Information said in a statement on Monday.
The ministry said, “While some online services have made efforts to address harmful content, given the high level of digital access and widespread use of online services among Singaporean consumers, including children, harmful online The proliferation of content is a concern.”
Regulators can also order platforms to prevent access to specific accounts by users in Singapore, but these orders will not apply to private communications.
Without naming the platforms, the ministry said online communications services “with significant reach or influence in Singapore” also need to introduce measures to prevent Singaporean users, particularly children, from accessing harmful content. can fall
Parliament will debate the bill in November. If passed, it would give authorities another tool to control online content.
Singapore last year passed a controversial law aimed at curbing foreign interference in the country’s politics.
The law allows authorities to compel internet service providers and social media platforms to share user information, block content and remove applications used to disseminate content they deem objectionable. are
Three years ago, the state passed a law to combat “fake news,” which requires government ministers to order social media sites to put warnings next to posts that authorities deem false, and in extreme cases They should be removed.
