Singapore introduces online safety bill to provide civil redress for victims of online harms

A new framework for online safety

The Bill establishes the Online Safety Commission (OSC), a statutory body tasked with administering a streamlined process for victims to report and seek redress for specified online harms. The OSC will be empowered to issue binding directions to:

• Remove or restrict access to harmful content;
• Disable or suspend abusive accounts;
• Allow victims to post replies to harmful content;
• Block access to offending platforms or applications; and
• Order the removal of apps from digital stores.

Victims will generally be required to report the harm to the relevant platform before approaching the OSC. However, in urgent cases such as child sexual exploitation or intimate image abuse, victims may seek immediate intervention from the OSC without prior platform engagement.

Scope of online harms

The Bill initially targets five categories of online harm:

• Online harassment (including sexual harassment);
• Doxxing;
• Online stalking;
• Intimate image abuse; and
• Image-based child abuse.

Additional categories, such as impersonation, incitement of violence, and non-consensual disclosure of private information, may be introduced progressively through subsidiary legislation.

Introduction of statutory torts

The Bill introduces statutory torts that clarify the duties and liabilities of three categories of actors in the online ecosystem:

• Communicators: Individuals who engage in or disseminate harmful content.
• Administrators: Entities that manage online spaces and are expected to take reasonable steps to prevent or respond to harm.
• Online service providers: Platforms that must take reasonable steps to act upon notice of harm and comply with prescribed response timelines.

These torts provide victims with a clear legal basis to pursue civil claims for compensatory damages, injunctions, and other remedies such as apologies and content removal. The statutory framework supplements existing criminal laws, such as the Protection from Harassment Act 2014 and the Online Criminal Harms Act 2023, by offering a civil route for redress.

Conversely, it will be a tort to send frivolous or false online harm notices to administrators and online service providers.

Addressing anonymity and identity disclosure

Recognising the role of anonymity in facilitating online abuse, the Bill will authorise the OSC to request platforms to disclose identity information of suspected perpetrators. Where such information is not readily available, platforms with significant reach may be required to take additional steps to collect and retain identity data. Victims may also apply to the OSC for disclosure of identity information to support legal proceedings under the statutory torts.

These provisions aim to balance privacy with accountability, especially in cases involving persistent or egregious harm.

Public support and policy rationale

According to a recent survey commissioned by MDDI, 85% of Singaporeans have encountered harmful online content, and over 30% have experienced harmful behaviour online in the past year. The Bill responds to growing public demand for stronger protections and clearer avenues for redress in the digital space.

Takeaways

The Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Bill represents a significant evolution in Singapore’s approach to digital safety. By introducing statutory torts and a dedicated enforcement body, the Bill provides victims with practical and timely remedies while placing clear obligations on platforms and online space administrators. Organisations operating digital platforms in Singapore should closely monitor the Bill’s progress and prepare to align their content moderation, identity verification, and user protection protocols with the new regulatory expectations. If enacted, the Bill will reinforce Singapore’s position as a jurisdiction committed to balancing innovation with user safety and accountability.

Authored by Charmian Aw, Ciara O'Leary, and Rosen Chen.