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How far should we go with online age checks to protect the young?
A tougher line is vital, but there’s room for a nuanced approach that doesn’t compromise privacy and data safety.
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A good age-verification regime protects most children most of the time, but cannot be the only line of defence.
ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Roy Ka-Wei Lee
Today, anyone in Singapore, regardless of age, can open a social media account in under a minute. Pick a platform, tap “Sign up”, scroll the birth year a little further back, and hit “Yes, I’m over 13”.
No parent, no teacher, no official. Doesn’t matter whether they are six or 16, the same rules – or rather lack of – apply.
