Edwin Tong: Online Safety Commission should see fewer cases over time, not more, as society deals with harmful content
He cautioned that the OSC should not be judged by how many cases are brought to its attention or how quickly it resolves them.
Law Minister Edwin Tong emphasized on September 23, 2026 that the Online Safety Commission (OSC) should handle fewer online safety cases over time, rather than an increasing number of cases, as society becomes better equipped to handle harmful content. Speaking at the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act 2025 (OSRAA) partners appreciation tea event, Tong suggested the OSC aims to reduce the number of cases by preventing repeated instances in the long run.
He noted that the decrease in cases submitted to the OSC indicates that society can effectively manage harmful content before victims have to escalate the matter to authorities.
As of September 22, 2026, the OSC had received over 500 reports since its operations began on June 29, 2026, according to Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo. The OSC has resolved more than 90% of eligible reports. However, Tong cautioned against evaluating the OSC solely based on the number of cases it receives or the speed of its resolution.
Instead, he urged looking at cases collectively to identify recurring issues and prevent future occurrences. Tong emphasized that studying the pattern of reported cases is crucial in understanding how to tackle these recurring problems.
He explained that the 500 cases so far will assist the OSC in handling the next 500 cases more effectively and potentially prevent some of these issues from recurring if addressed upstream. Tong suggested that ultimately, success should be measured by a decrease in the number of people seeking OSC assistance over time, rather than merely the volume of cases it handles.
Regarding the framework, Tong stated that the Law Ministry will continue to work with technology platforms and analyze the cases. He emphasized the importance of a clear framework, practical approach, and victim-centric methods to address online harms. The Ministry currently tackles 13 categories of online harms but will expand its focus to five specific categories in its next phase of operations.
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