The Singaporean parliament has passed legislation empowering the government to shut down online criminal content, including illegal iGaming.
According to Inside Asian Gaming, the new Online Criminal Harms Act gives the government five ways to order internet service providers and individuals to remove objectionable online information or activities. These strategies can be used when “reasonable suspicion” exists that a crime has been committed; for example, when a social media platform is being used for unlicensed moneylending or to promote illegal gambling.
These methods include a “disabling” mechanism to keep offending posts or web pages from being viewed in Singapore, and a “stop communication” directive that can be issued against people who post harmful text or images. The bill also targets online scams and “malicious cyber-activities.”
“There is growing international consensus that new rules and levers are needed to combat criminal harms online,” said Josephine Teo, Singapore’s minister for communications and information and second minister for home affairs. “There is also growing recognition that proactive approaches are needed to prevent such harms, and that government efforts alone will not be enough.
“The U.K., EU, Germany and Australia have or are introducing new laws in this regard. They have been useful references as we formulated our proposals.”
Teo said authorities in Singapore are taking “a targeted approach, focusing on areas that are most problematic. We have also taken a pragmatic and collaborative approach. For example, we recognize and encourage initiatives by online services to improve online safety. But we also know that they tend to be designed for a global user base and do not cater to the unique circumstances in specific locations.
“Where we have identified a need for additional measures to tackle the risks of criminal activities, it will be better to require them by law than to leave things to chance. The specific interventions should however be designed for ease of implementation, with strong emphasis on effective outcomes.”
The bill, which covers all kinds of online communications, allows the government to act preemptively, before offenses are committed, if evidence exists that plans are in the works.
“There is no silver bullet to resolving the complexities of the online world,” Teo said “This bill is calibrated to allow us to respond more effectively to online criminal harms, while enabling us to continue to enjoy the many benefits which the internet has brought us.”
