Measures to Investigate and Prevent Circulation of Illegal Obscene Materials

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs what measures are available to investigate and prevent the circulation of illegal obscene materials, particularly those involving minors, on private messaging platforms, such as Telegram and WhatsApp.

To enable the Government to deal more effectively with criminal online activities, including the circulation of obscene materials involving minors on private messaging platforms, the Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA) was introduced in 2023.

Under OCHA, the Government can issue directions to online service providers, including private messaging platforms, to prevent such materials from being accessed by Singapore users. The Government can also require information from the online service providers to facilitate investigations and criminal proceedings.

The Ministry of Digital Development and Information and the Ministry of Law have tabled the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Bill, which will further enhance online safety for Singapore users. Under the Bill, a new Online Safety Commission (OSC) will be established to support victims of specified online harms, including minors, to seek timely relief from perpetrators and platforms. These harms include intimate image abuse and image-based child abuse. If a report is made by the victim, OSC can issue directions to stop the circulation of such materials.