SINGAPORE, Jan 7 – Singapore is reportedly exploring social media age limits to safeguard young users, mirroring Australia’s recent legislation, Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Rahayu Mahzam told its Parliament today.
Straits Times cited her adding that the Singapore government officials are consulting its Australian counterparts to better understand their perspectives on the issue.
“The stated objective of legislating age limits for social media access is to protect children and youth from its harms. We share the same objective and will continue to study the effectiveness of mandating age limits,” Rahayu was quoted saying.
She noted that considerations for a ban would include how to manage violations and address the migration of users to unregulated platforms.
Rahayu was replying to MP Foo Mee Har (West Coast GRC) who asked whether government finds such bans effective.
In response to Rahayu, Opposition Leader Pritam Singh questioned whether social media companies proactively ensure online safety in Singapore.
He referenced comments by Australia’s eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, who said the burden of online safety needs to shift from parents and children to the platforms themselves.
Australia’s new law, which takes effect in March, prohibits children under 16 from accessing social media and aims to establish industry norms for safety compliance.
Singapore has implemented measures to regulate online spaces, including the Code of Practice for Online Safety introduced in 2024.
This comes as neighbouring Malaysia now requires social media platforms to register for a licence to operate from January 1, 2025 — with WeChat, TikTok and Telegram already obtaining it.
