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 was "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...