Speaking on a gov.sg podcast Let’s Table It, which was posted on Tuesday, Mrs Teo said it was helpful to set the OSC in law to ensure that the commission has credibility and speaks with a voice of authority.
“That’s why we passed the law, so they can refer back to the law and say that the law says that there are these categories of harms. This is how these categories of harms are defined,” she said.
Commissioner of Online Safety Francis Ng likened online harms to something “dark and nasty” that “gets the keys to your head” and moves in “rent-free”.
Before the commission was formed, victims had no direct means of being able to take down harmful content online, he said.
“I think the OSC decisively changed that game by creating a statutory reporting mechanism. This allows us to then reach out to the platforms, to the communicators, to get the harm taken off the internet,” he added.
Ahead of the podcast, Mrs Teo also told reporters that the initial progress suggests that there is a need to provide better support to victims of online harms.
“Very often when we speak to these victims, their immediate need is clear and straightforward. They really want the harmful content to be removed as soon as possible,” she said.
“The platforms remain the first port of call. They have a responsibility to act on reports of harmful content. But when the victims need more support, today they have the Online Safety Commission to turn to.”
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