Singapore may block under-18s from social media platforms that fail child safety standards: Josephine Teo

SINGAPORE: Social media platforms that fail to meet child safety standards could be blocked for users under 18, while those that do could continue offering access to young users, Digital Development and Information Minister Josephine Teo said on Friday (Jul 17).

Speaking at a forum on child online safety organised by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information and the Institute of Policy Studies, Mrs Teo said discussions pointed towards a "differentiated landscape" where access hinges on whether platforms can provide a safe environment for children.

“It is potentially a differentiated landscape where some services, some platforms have made it possible for child-safe access, and they continue to offer access to those under 18,” she said in her closing remarks.

“But there may be some other services that either have not been willing or able to do it, then as a society, we think that it is probably better to block access for under-18s to these kinds of services.”

Restricting access is "not the starting point" and "not the preferred outcome", she stressed. The government's priority remains working with platforms to strengthen safety features so children can keep accessing digital services more safely.

Her remarks build on an earlier proposal for tiered or age-based access, under which younger children could be barred from certain platforms while older teenagers gain access gradually as they develop the maturity to navigate online spaces.

Singapore already has several age-related safeguards in place. These include Codes of Practice for Online Safety, age assurance requirements for apps and annual reporting obligations for social media platforms.

"The idea that we can kick them off (social media) completely is not a very realistic one," Teo said, noting that children today grow up without a clear separation between online and offline life.

Protecting children from harm is "only part of it", she added. Preparing them to navigate digital spaces responsibly matters just as much, if not more, in the long run.

TIERED ACCESS TO SOCIAL MEDIA

Summing up the discussions at the forum, Mrs Teo said there was broad support for tiered access and stronger expectations that tech companies take responsibility for designing safer platforms.

She said safety should extend beyond moderating harmful content to features that shape user behaviour, such as recommendation algorithms, design elements that encourage constant use and the ability to interact with strangers.

"If we really want to create a child-safe environment, making sure it doesn't stop at the border called content but instead goes into considerations that define the features, the design of these services, is something that has also come across very loudly and clearly.”

Beyond regulation, she said ensuring children's online safety requires a whole-of-society effort spanning government, industry, educators, parents and young people.

Many parents, she acknowledged, face growing uncertainty guiding their children online as the digital landscape evolves rapidly.

"We need to journey along with each other, help each other, support each other, learn new tools of the trade ... and also acquire new skills in terms of helping them to foster healthy digital habits," she said.

Mrs Teo also welcomed what she described as growing agency among young people, saying many of whom are becoming more discerning about the platforms they use.

Citing feedback from youth participants at the forum, she said: "They may well say if a platform isn't going to take care of my safety, if a platform isn't willing to look after my well-being, then maybe I will sign off and go somewhere else."

Around 150 people attended the forum, including global regulators, community and industry partners, academics and experts.

The Ministry of Digital Development and Information said separately on Friday that it is engaging a wide range of stakeholders, including parents and youths, to gather views on building a safer digital environment for young users.