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Singapore: Further details released on safety measures proposed for social media platforms

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The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) has released, in its Public Consultation published on 13 July 2022, more information on two proposed complementary codes to protect Singapore-based users against harmful and high-risk online content.

In brief

Social media platforms with significant reach or impact that are designated social media services will be in-scope for the new compliance obligations proposed by the MCI under the Code of Practice for Online Safety and all social media services are intended to be subject to the Content Code for Social Media Services (collectively, “Codes“).

During MCI’s earlier consultation with the industry, we have provided information about these Codes in our alert: Government proposes Codes of Practice to regulate harmful online content on social media. As noted in our earlier alert, the Code of Practice for Online Safety targets user-protective processes which these designated social media services should have in place; and the Content Code for Social Media Services will grant IMDA powers to issue directions to disable harmful content or disallow accounts from interacting with users in Singapore.

The Public Consultation runs until 10 August 2022.

In this Alert, we summarise the protective measures released by the MCI in its summary of the Code of Practice for Online Safety and the Content Code for Social Media Services and provide some of our takeaways.

Takeaways

The Codes are intended to address different concerns compared to existing laws such as:

  • The Protection from Harassment Act 2014, which addresses harassment
  • The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act 2019, which addresses misinformation and disinformation
  • The Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act 2021, which addresses foreign interference

While the Internet Code of Practice presently applies to all Internet Content Providers (as defined in the Broadcasting (Class Licence) Notification), we expect that the provisions in the Codes to be more directed towards social media services.

The intent is not to provide for a particularly prescriptive approach, but to drive certain outcomes set out in these Codes. The Minister for Communications and Information and Second Minister for Home Affairs, Josephine Teo, has expressed willingness to understand how the proposed codes will work in the specific context of each designated social media service and see whether adjustments will need to be made in the way the code is designed.

Designated social media services and social media services may wish to consider the following measures:

Additionally, from the discussion between the Minister for Communications and Information and technology companies during the earlier industry consultation, we note that the Singapore government intends for the Codes to have regulatory effect with teeth, resulting in legal consequences for breaches to the Codes.

Please reach out to us if you have any questions in relation to the matters set out above.

Click here to read the full alert.

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Andy Leck is the head of the Intellectual Property and Technology (IPTech) Practice Group and a member of the Dispute Resolution Practice Group in Singapore. He is a core member of Baker McKenzie's regional IP practice and also leads the Myanmar IP Practice Group. Andy is recognised by reputable global industry and legal publications as a leader in his field. He was named on "The A-List: Singapore's Top 100 lawyers" by Asia Business Law Journal 2018. In addition, Chambers Asia Pacific notes that Andy is "a well-known IP practitioner who is highlighted for his record of handling major trade mark litigation, as well as commercial exploitation of IP rights in the media and technology sectors. He's been in the industry for a long time and has always been held in high regard. He is known to be very fair and is someone you would like to be in the trenches with you during negotiations." Furthermore, Asian Legal Business acknowledges Andy as a leading practitioner in his field and notes that he “always gives good, quick advice, [is] client-focused and has strong technical knowledge for his areas of practice.” Andy was appointed by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) as an IP Adjudicator to hear disputes at IPOS for a two-year term from April 2021. He has been an appointed member of the Singapore Copyright Tribunal since May 2010 and a mediator with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center. He is also appointed as a Notary Public & Commissioner for Oaths in Singapore. He previously served on the International Trademark Association’s Board of Directors and was a member of the executive committee.

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Ken Chia is a member of the Firm’s IP Tech, International Commercial & Trade and Competition Practice Groups. He is regularly ranked as a leading TMT and competition lawyer by top legal directories, including Chambers Asia Pacific and Legal 500 Asia Pacific. Ken is an IAPP Certified International Privacy Professional (FIP, CIPP(A), CIPT, CIPM) and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators.

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Ren Jun Lim is a principal with Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow. He represents local and international clients in both contentious and non-contentious intellectual property matters. He also advises on a full range of healthcare, as well as consumer goods-related legal and regulatory issues. Ren Jun co-leads Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow's Healthcare as well as Consumer Goods & Retail industry groups. He sits on the Law Society of Singapore IP Committee and on the Executive Committee of the Association of Information Security Professionals. He is also a member of the Vaccines Working Group, Singapore Association of Pharmaceutical Industries, a member of the International Trademark Association, as well as a member of the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Association. Ren Jun is ranked in the Silver tier for Individuals: Enforcement and Litigation and Individuals: Prosecution and Strategy, and a recommended lawyer for Individuals: Transactions by WTR 1000, 2020. He is also listed in Asia IP's Best 50 IP Expert, 2020, recognised as a Rising Star by Managing IP: IP Stars, 2019 and one of Singapore's 70 most influential lawyers aged 40 and under by Singapore Business Review, 2016. Ren Jun was acknowledged by WTR 1000 as a "trademark connoisseur who boasts supplementary knowledge of regulatory issues in the consumer products industry." He was also commended by clients for being "very responsive to enquiries and with a keen eye for detail, he is extremely hands-on. His meticulous and in-depth approach to strategising is key to the excellent outcomes we enjoy."

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Abe is a principal in our Singapore office. His main areas of practice include patents, trade secrets, copyright, and transactional IP for international and domestic clients. With over eleven years of legal experience as a lawyer and over ten years of technical experience as an engineer in the US and Canada, Abe is able to provide commercially oriented legal and technology-specific advice on a wide range of IP issues. Before joining our Singapore office in 2016, Abe was a lawyer in our Baker McKenzie offices in the US (where he passed the US patent bar examination and qualified as a US Registered Patent Attorney (limited recognition)) and Thailand.

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