MDDI's Response to PQ on Mandating Online Platforms in Singapore to Incorporate Safety-by-Design Principles to Prevent Child Sexual Exploitation

Parliament Sitting on 9 September 2026

Question for Written Answer

*8. Ms Elysa Chen asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) whether online platforms operating in Singapore will be required to incorporate safety-by-design principles to prevent child sexual exploitation; (b) if not, why not; and (c) when will the Ministry mandate such safeguards, given that international standards are already in place elsewhere.

Answer

Under the Infocomm Media Development Authority's (IMDA's) Codes of Practice for Online Safety, designated social media services and app stores are required to proactively detect and swiftly remove child sexual exploitation and abuse activity on their platforms, such as online grooming for child sexual abuse. Additionally, these services are required to put in place systems and processes to mitigate Singapore users' exposure to harmful content, including child sexual exploitation material. These are aligned with safety-by-design principles that require platforms to build proactive safeguards and prevent harm, rather than react to the harm that occurs.

IMDA also regularly assesses the designated platforms' compliance with their respective Codes of Practice for Online Safety. In the latest Online Safety Assessment Report for designated social media services published on 31 March 2026, IMDA found serious weaknesses in X's measures to proactively detect and remove child sexual exploitation and abuse material on its platform. IMDA issued a Letter of Caution to X, and placed it under Enhanced Supervision to hold it accountable to rectify its serious weaknesses.