Singapore is considering the introduction of minimum-age laws for social media use and is currently in talks with Australian authorities regarding the matter.
In November, Australia passed a law that prohibits individuals under 16 from using popular social networks such as Facebook, making it one of the strictest social media regulations outside of China. The new rules place the responsibility for enforcing the age ban on tech companies, with hefty penalties of up to A$50 million ($31.3 million) for non-compliance.
Rahayu Mahzam, Singapore’s Minister of State for Digital Development and Information, emphasized the shared objective of protecting children and youths online.
“The stated objective of legislating age limits for social media access is to protect children and youths from its harms,” Mahzam said. “We share the same objective and will continue to study the effectiveness of mandating age limits,” she added.
While the idea of age restrictions is gaining momentum, a major challenge remains how to verify the ages of users.
According to Bloomberg, Australian authorities have already rejected the use of official documents like passports due to privacy concerns, leaving platform operators like Meta Platforms Inc. in a difficult position regarding enforcement.
Singapore, meanwhile, is carefully considering how to implement such rules and how to address potential issues with young users turning to unregulated platforms. The minister highlighted the importance of ongoing discussions with both Australian officials and tech companies to inform the country’s next steps.
“We are engaging our Australian counterparts and social media platforms to understand their views,” she said. “This will help inform our thinking on the next steps,” she explained.
Australia’s legislation is said to have been designed following extensive feedback from young Australians, parents, experts, industry, community organizations, and state and territory governments.
As the global conversation about protecting young users from online harm intensifies, Singapore’s exploration of social media age limits signals a growing concern for child safety in the digital realm.
