Singapore considers Australia's social media ban for users under 16

The Singapore government is reportedly considering implementing a legislation which limits the use of social media access to protect young users. This comes after Australia recently passed a law in November last year, banning children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms. 

According to The Straits Times, Singapore is in talks with Australian counterparts and social media platforms to understand their views on the matter, said Rahayu Mahzam, minister of State for Digital Development and Information. 

In response to a question in parliament on the effectiveness of such bans, Mahzam reportedly stated that the objective of legislating age limits for social media access is to protect children and youth from its harms. She also added that Singapore shares the same objective with Australia and will continue studying the ban's effectiveness of mandating age limits. 

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Mahzam reportedly said that when considering the implementation of a ban, factors such as how the authorities will evaluate the severity of violations by young users and how to address the shift to unregulated platforms will need to be carefully evaluated. 

Pritam Singh, leader of the opposition and Workers' Party chief reportedly questioned whether social media companies work cautiously with regards to online safety, citing a foreign relations panel discussion with Australia’s eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant, who discussed the need for platforms to protect young users. 

In response, Mahzam stated that the Republic has made progress in regulating the online sphere, noting collaborative efforts with tech firms to introduce safeguards in an iterative process.

Mahzam also reportedly noted the online safety compliance reports that social media services were required to submit to authorities in 2024 under the Code of Practice for Online Safety, which the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is currently assessing. Mahzam said the reports aim to promote transparency and gather information on safety measure on platforms. 

She reportedly said that the Republic has been stern in making sure social media services implement strict measures that comply with safety requirements and hopes to ensure such methods are sustainable and meaningful. 

Mahzam noted that despite there being an inconclusive impact of social media usage on children, it has shown to help children develop social skills and build connections. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to IMDA for more information. 

Singapore isn't the only country to show interest in the social media ban. In December last year, Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil reportedly said that the Malaysian government will continue to remind social media platform providers to take action based on guidelines set regarding age limit. Failure to do so will lead to a discussion on the best course of action on it, added Fahmi.

This includes platform such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and X where the age limit to create an account is 13 years old and above, the minister said after opening the 'Jelajah peduli ummah' programme, according to The Star.

However, the following day, Fahmi confirmed that Malaysia would not be introducing new laws to limit the age of social media users. Instead, it will focus on licensing social media platforms, which is set to take effect on 1 January 2025.

He said that the emphasis will be on ensuring social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and WhatsApp enforce their existing age limit. Currently, WhatsApp has an age limit of 16 years old while Facebook, TikTok and Instagram is set to 13 years old and above.

He added that moving forward, the government aims to understand why children use social media platforms despite the age limit rules.

Additionally, Indonesia has shown interest in the ban after the Indonesian Ulema Council urged the government to regulate social media use for children in December last year, according to The Jakarta Post.  

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