IMDA introduces new law to minimise ads on children's social media accounts

The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has issued a new code of practice with a tighter control on advertisements on the social media accounts of children to minimise their exposure to harmful content.

With effect from 18 July 2023, the Online Safety Code will ensure that social media accounts belonging to children must not receive advertisements, promoted content and content recommendations that may be detrimental to a child’s physical or mental well-being, according to a statement by IMDA.

Don't miss: SG govt to introduce new laws to prevent harmful online content

The new code will require designated Social Media Services (SMSs) in Singapore to enhance online safety measures by including tools to hide harmful content and unwanted interactions, limit location sharing and the visibility of their accounts from other users to name a few.

The designated SMSs are Facebook, HardwareZone, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube who have been engaged extensively by IMDA and were invited to submit formal responses to the Online Safety Code, the statement said.

These platforms must submit online safety reports annually for publication with the first reports required to be submitted in the second half of 2024. Safety reports will provide information about the measures designated SMSs have put in place to combat harmful content and how Singapore users’ experience on the services has been.

SMSs are also expected to put in place tools for parents/guardians to manage their children’s safety, such as tools to manage content, the public visibility of their accounts, parties who can contact and interact with them and location sharing.

Through these measures, the new code aims to curb the spread of harmful content on their services such as sexual content, violent content, suicide and self-harm content, cyberbullying content, content endangering public health, and content facilitating vice and organised crime.

In an Instagram post by minister for communications and information Josephine Teo, she said: "Any social media user can attest to having seen sexually explicit, violent, or even self-harm content online. Our young ones are particularly vulnerable to these types of content and they must be better protected."

The Online Safety Code comes in a wake of the Online Criminal Harms Act passed in parliament earlier this month that will allow the government to remove criminal online content.

The act will empower the government with the ability to tell individuals, entities, online and Internet service providers and app stores to remove or block harmful content where there is "reasonable suspicion" that a specified offence has been committed and that an online activity is in fact helping the offence to be carried out.

Related articles:
IMDA partners with tech giants to form alliance to tackle AI-related issues
IMDA partners Amazon Web Services to launch joint innovation centre
SG govt passes law requiring social media platforms to block harmful content 'within hours'