cracking down on features that keep users scrolling endlessly,<\/span><\/a> clicking, and coming back for more.<\/p>\n\u201cThese features are hard enough for adults to resist \u2013 for teenagers, the risks are greater,\u201d said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during his National Day Rally speech on Aug 23.<\/p>\n
He added that the Government will require stronger safeguards to be built in for young users, if each platform wants to serve the youth in Singapore.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf its safeguards remain inadequate, we will consider additional restrictions \u2013 including raising the minimum age for access to that platform beyond 13.\u201d<\/p>\n
PM Wong was speaking on the importance of anticipating risks and having appropriate safeguards for new technologies that emerge, drawing parallels between social media and the developments of artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n
Social media held much promise when it first emerged, creating new opportunities and connecting friends and families online. But its downsides became clear over time, said PM Wong.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, one in six young people aged 10 to 24 in Singapore show signs of problematic social media use,\u201d he said, citing statistics from a 2023 study by the National Council of Social Service.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor some, the problem can be severe \u2013 they spend six or seven hours a day on social media, sometimes till the wee hours of the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Children and teenagers are particularly vulnerable as their brains are still developing, are more susceptible to social pressures, and are more easily hooked by features designed to keep them constantly engaged, said PM Wong.<\/p>\n
To protect children below the age of 13, social media firms will also be required to put in place robust and reliable methods to check a user\u2019s age, so as to enforce minimum age requirements.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn paper, most social media platforms already set a minimum age of 13 \u2013 but enforcement is largely left to platforms themselves,\u201d said PM Wong, adding that most rely on users to declare their own ages.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that this is not working well. When I visit primary schools, I am struck by how many children are already active on social media… Self-declaration is just not good enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
More details on the requirements for social media firms will be revealed in the coming days, said Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo in a Facebook post on Aug 23.<\/p>\n
She said that the Government recognises that children at different developmental stages need different levels of protection, while acknowledging the key role that parents play in nurturing healthy digital habits.<\/p>\n
Said Teo: \u201cThere is no single solution that can address every risk. What matters is putting in place a set of practical, age-appropriate protections, while continuing to support parents and youth in the online world.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new measures come on the back of a report published in July by an expert panel, which was formed by the Ministry of Health to examine the impact of social media use on young people\u2019s mental health.<\/p>\n
It recommended tackling problematic features such as infinite scroll and autoplay functions, which encourage young users to remain engaged for longer than they intended.<\/p>\n
Other features of concern identified include algorithmically curated feeds that could amplify exposure to distressing or harmful content, and social feedback mechanisms such as visible \u201clike\u201d counts that encourage social comparison and validation-seeking.<\/p>\n
Experts also recommended against implementing a blanket age-based ban across all social media platforms, which has been proposed or codified into law in other jurisdictions such as Australia, the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Indonesia.<\/p>\n