SINGAPORE: Victims of online harm such as cyberbullying and sexual harassment may soon have access to a wide range of remedies.

They will be able to lodge complaints about such harm with a new agency dedicated to improving online safety and supporting victims of online harm, the Ministry of Justice (MinLaw) and the Ministry of Justice announced on Friday (22 November). Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI). .

Instructions may be issued to persons who post such content online, in addition to online platforms such as TikTok or X, as well as to administrators of online sites such as Facebook groups or Telegram channels, where such content are made available.

The agency may request such parties to disable access to harmful content or, in cases of false statements or statements damaging to victims’ reputations, grant complainants a right of reply to defend against such statements.

This comes after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced in October the creation of a new government agency to provide victims of online harm with faster and more effective help.

The proposals are part of the government’s commitment to tackling online harm and will allow victims to repair the damage suffered, the two ministries said.

They will also help shape standards of acceptable online conduct and improve accountability among members of the online ecosystem, and complement the existing regulatory framework and criminal justice system, the ministries said in a statement.

The idea is to introduce a complaints mechanism, administered by the new agency, to provide rapid assistance to victims of online harm.

The agency will also introduce statutory torts (a type of civil tort) for various online harms, to provide legal certainty in case victims of such harms choose to take legal action against responsible parties in court to hold them accountable for their liability for online harm.

It also aims to increase accountability through better disclosure of user information.

The Government has introduced a range of measures to tackle various aspects of online criminal harm, strengthening its ability to take action against online criminal harm under the Online Criminal Harm Act.

It also introduced the Online Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act, which amended the Broadcasting Act to impose stricter regulatory requirements on online communications services.

Some forms of online harassment are addressed in the Protection Against Harassment Act.

This is in addition to public education efforts such as the creation of the Media Literacy Council and teaching internet safety in schools, MDDI and MinLaw said.

An April MDDI survey of more than 2,000 people found that 74 percent said they had encountered harmful content such as cyberbullying or sexual content online.

In such cases, the agency, which has not yet been named, can issue directions to multiple parties involved in the spread of 10 categories of harm online, including identity theft, non-consensual sharing of intimate images and hate speech.

In more serious cases, such as those of repeat offenders or if an online account is used primarily to perpetuate harm online, the agency could order that a perpetrator’s account be deactivated or that an online group be shut down.

The agency will also introduce mechanisms allowing victims of seven types of online harm, such as child pornography or hate speech inciting violence, to hold responsible parties accountable for damages.

MDDI and MinLaw said they were also exploring a proposal to make user information about online harm perpetrators available to victims, as part of efforts to improve online accountability.

Both ministries noted that while online anonymity has allowed vulnerable individuals and groups to speak out without fear of reprisal, it has also been exploited by bad actors to target victims without fear of reprisal.

“We believe that improving accountability will deter perpetrators of such acts and also help improve overall user safety,” the ministries said.

They added that, subject to certain requirements, victims who have filed a complaint with the new agency will be able to request that the perpetrator’s user information be released for specific purposes.

This includes protecting oneself or seeking complaints from the individual or group in question.

The ministries noted that such measures are necessary due to the limitations of existing laws. For example, victims face difficulties when seeking redress, such as finding the legal process expensive and difficult to follow, instead preferring a simpler and quicker way to obtain redress.

Existing laws generally cover only a narrow set of harms, MDDI and MinLaw said, citing the example of the Protection from Harassment Act, which remains “largely untested” when it comes to redress. online harm other than harassment or misrepresentation.

Additionally, victims may have difficulty obtaining the identity of perpetrators in order to prosecute them.

Dr Carol Soon, senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies and head of the society and culture department, said the new agency would act as a single source of support for victims of online harm, whose distress could be compounded by the existing “heavy burden”. legal recourse and platform network”.

“In addition to acting on their behalf to require administrators, communicators and platforms to take prompt action, the agency can also investigate claims and help victims by connecting them with organizations that can provide them with additional advice and assistance,” she said.

While there is a risk that false reports could disrupt the agency’s work, Dr. Soon said, it is important to require complainants to identify themselves and substantiate their complaints to minimize potential abuse.

MDDI and MinLaw aim to table relevant legislation for these measures in Parliament in 2025.

From November 22 to December 22, members of the public can give their opinion on the proposed measures to

-The time of the straits/ANN