Measures to Tackle Rising Number of Telegram Channels Selling Sexually Explicit Materials

8 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what are the current measures in place to tackle the rising number of Telegram channels selling non-consensual and illegally obtained sexually explicit materials, especially after the previous occurrence of the Telegram chat group SG Nasi Lemak; (b) what is the Government's assessment of our enforcement system’s current ability to tackle and deter such crimes in a timely way; and (c) what more can be done in working with online platforms to prevent such recurrences.

The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling) (for the Minister of Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, Sir, we have laws against the sale or distribution of non-consensual and illegally obtained sexually explicit materials. The Police take a very serious view of such offences and have taken firm action against the perpetrators in cases which had come to their attention.

To deal with the online dissemination of such harmful content, we have updated our laws, such as with the introduction of the Online Criminal Harms Act in 2023. When the Online Criminal Harms Act is operationalised progressively from the first quarter of 2024, the Police can issue a Disabling Direction to online platforms, such as Telegram, to prevent such materials on the platform from being accessed by Singapore users.

Non-compliance by the online platforms with these Directions will be an offence. In these instances, the Competent Authority can also issue an Access Blocking Order, App Removal Order or Service Restriction Order to the Internet Service Providers or app stores, to restrict access to the online service provided by the platform or part of the online service, to prevent the criminal activity and content from being accessed by persons in Singapore.

Online platforms also have a responsibility to proactively curb the spread of harmful online content and to ensure that their services are safe for their users. Under the Broadcasting Act, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) issued the Code of Practice for Online Safety, which took effect on 18 July 2023. The Code of Practice requires designated social media services with significant reach or impact to put in place systems and processes to minimise exposure to harmful content for users in Singapore. The six designated services are Facebook, HardwareZone, Instagram, TikTok, X or formerly Twitter, and YouTube. Singapore users can report harmful content to the designated services for appropriate actions to be taken. The IMDA will periodically review the need to designate other social media services with significant reach and impact as necessary, including Telegram.

The effectiveness of our enforcement system depends on the responsiveness of the online services. To date, Telegram has not responded to Police's requests to remove access to accounts disseminating sexually explicit materials. However, there has recently been some progress in our engagement with Telegram. We will continue to work with them, and other online platforms, to better protect Singapore users from harmful content.

Mr Speaker: Ms Nadia.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio): Thank you. I am looking forward to the Online Harms Act. Just two follow-up questions. Beyond the online platforms – and I am glad to know that there has been some progress with Telegram and here we are really talking about non-consensual and illegally obtained material – two of my supplementary questions are about how we can go further upstream, beyond the punishment for perpetrators. What more can Government and society do to create a more respectful culture between men and women and, secondly, to help survivors who have faced such incidents, which can be very traumatising?

Ms Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for her suggestions and feedback about the necessity of going upstream. Indeed, it is important to create a respectful culture between men and women, boys and girls, from an early age. So, I would like to cite examples from the Ministry of Education's (MOE) Character and Citizenship Education, where students are taught to respect all persons, regardless of race, language, religion, gender and age. MOE's sexuality education also seeks to help students develop positive self, social emotional competencies, healthy relationships and values.

Most of our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) have, similarly, compulsory modules on respect and appropriate behaviour for the students. I understand that the remaining IHLs are working to introduce similar modules. [Please refer to "Clarification by Minister of State for Home Affairs", Official Report, 22 November 2023, Vol 95, Issue 117, Correction By Written Statement section.]

The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) also has several campaigns that aim to encourage respectful behaviour among family members and also when it comes to intimate partners, because if there is no practice of respect in such relationships, in the egregious cases, we might see sexual violence.

MSF reaches out to partners across the people, private and public sectors to deliver domestic violence awareness training. We also work with social service agencies on how to spot signs of violence, how to counsel victims, survivors as well as perpetrators, and also offer help to those experiencing physical violence or sexual violence.

On the Singapore Police Force end, the Police set up the sexual crime and family violence command in April, for better oversight of the management of sexual crime and family violence cases. The command is staffed by Police officers who have specialised expertise in handling sexual crime and family violence cases. They also possess good victim management skills. Police may also activate victim care volunteers, under the Victim Care Cadre programme, to provide emotional support to victims or survivors during the course of investigations.

Mr Speaker: Mr Lim Biow Chuan.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Thank you, Mr Speaker. May I ask the Minister of State whether the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) would consider implementing regulations to stop apps from targeting minors or vulnerable young children from accessing these apps? There was a recent CNA article in which the reporters said that some of these apps were meant to target minors who were trying to access dating apps, and as a result, there were passes, some indecent comments made to the minors.

So, would MHA consider, say, requiring these app owners to require members signing up to use their Singpass before allowing them to sign up, so this will make sure that those who are minors would not be able to sign up for such apps?

Ms Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for his question. On his specific clarification, that would come under the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) and IMDA, so if he were able to file a separate Parliamentary Question on it, they would be able to answer.

But what I would say is that I mentioned the Broadcasting Act earlier, and that the IMDA had issued the Code of Practice for Online Safety. So, within that framework, indeed, age verification for the use of apps and as to whether or not certain apps should be accessible to certain age groups, that is a conversation that IMDA is having with the platforms.

But in the actual execution, and what the IMDA can do about it and how they can hold those platforms accountable, it would be through the amended Broadcasting Act as well as the Code of Practice on Online Safety, which I had mentioned earlier.