Vogue SG's permit shortened after multiple content guideline breaches

The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) has issued Vogue Singapore a stern warning, shortening the magazine's permit from a year to six months after it reportedly breached Singapore's content guidelines multiple times. Quoting MCI's spokesperson, The Straits Times said that Vogue Singapore's current one-year permit was revoked on 13 October and the magazine has since been issued a six-month permit after it reapplied.

According to the spokesperson, Vogue Singapore violated the content guidelines for local lifestyle magazines on four occasions within the past two years. It apparently featured nudity and content that "promoted non-traditional families", MCI's spokesperson explained, ST said.

The content guidelines remained the same during Vogue Singapore's content breaches and it was compulsory for the magazine to comply with those guidelines as part of its permit conditions, the spokesperson said. According to ST, the conditions included "not undermining prevailing social norms". MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Vogue Singapore and MCI for comment.

Vogue Singapore is not the first magazine to have its permit shortened. In 2014, local arts magazine Art Republik faced a similar consequence when it had "two severe breaches of content guidelines". This involved religiously insensitive and denigrative content, ST said.

At the same time, Cleo and Singapore FHM also repeatedly breached guidelines in 2008 and 1998 respectively regarding content on sex, nudity as well as the promotion of promiscuity and a permissive lifestyle, ST added.

Separately, MCI stressed in August that its policies on media content and LGBT media content will continue to warrant higher age ratings despite the repeal of Section 377A of the Penal Code. MCI said previously that the repeal does not mean that it is changing the tone of society. In fact, its content regulatory approach has to be sensitive to societal norms and values, and it will continue to take reference from prevailing societal norms.

Media content is regulated by both MCI and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in order to protect younger audiences from age-inappropriate content, as well as allow mature audiences to make informed choices over a diverse range of content. Additionally, media content with higher reach and impact is subject to more stringent requirements.

IMDA is overseen by MCI, which sets content guidelines and classification policies for various platforms comprising films and videos, video games, arts entertainment, TV and radio, publications and audio materials, as well as the Internet.

More recently, Vogue Singapore rolled out a virtual lounge where consumers can purchase NFT collections and digital wearables. Done in collaboration with XR content agency Polycount.io, Club Vogue Singapore features a welcoming circular lounge room that takes inspiration from Singapore’s tropical climate.

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