Josephine Teo on social media use for Singapore minors: No direct ban, but stronger safeguards

Singapore's Minister for Digital Development and Information, Josephine Teo, outlined the country's approach to making social media safer for its younger citizens at a recent meeting with local journalists. Concerns about the impact of social media on mental health and exposure to online dangers have prompted countries like Australia, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom to consider direct bans on minors registering on social media platforms.

However, Singapore is taking a different approach, aiming to pass new laws by early 2027 to protect teenagers on social media.

Singapore's strategy is a tiered access model based on a minor's developmental stage. Children below a certain age should not have access to social media, while teenagers should be able to use it but with stronger, age-appropriate safeguards known as "social media that is safer by design." This involves three key elements: mandatory age assurance, default safeguards, and platforms taking stronger responsibility.

First, Singapore will make mandatory age assurance a requirement, as current age declarations by children are easy to circumvent. Platforms will need to propose appropriate age verification methods, which the government will ensure are implemented robustly and effectively. Next, stronger default safeguards will address issues like unwanted interactions with strangers and excessive social media use.

Singapore is exploring daily default time limits to prevent features like infinite scrolling from leading to problematic use, with parents having the ability to adjust these settings.

Lastly, social media platforms will be expected to take responsibility for providing a safer experience for minors. If a platform is unwilling or unable to implement stronger safeguards for users aged 13 to 17, Singapore is prepared to raise the minimum age of access for that platform to 18. Teo emphasized that this approach provides "training wheels" for younger users as they navigate social media challenges, with a fuller experience available when they are older and more ready.