The Usual Place Podcast
500+ reports in 2 months: How Singapore’s new Online Safety Commission is tackling online harms
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From disturbing AI sextortion cases to holding platforms accountable, Singapore’s Commissioner of Online Safety Francis Ng reveals what it takes to protect victims.
In the first two months after the Online Safety Commission (OSC) started operations, the agency handled more than 500 reports of online harms - most of which concern doxing and online harassment.
Launched on June 29, the OSC is a new agency, that helps victims by compelling platforms and group administrators to remove harmful content quickly.
Can the OSC make the internet a safe space for users in Singapore?
Singapore’s Commissioner of Online Safety Francis Ng drops in on The Usual Place to talk about how the OSC has the power to tackle online harms, and why removing harmful content can give victims relief.
Also, if Ng could personally ban one harmful online behaviour, what would it be?
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:30 What does the Online Safety Commission do?
4:30 500+ cases, some of the material “very, very disturbing”
7:02 The AI sextortion case that stayed with Ng
9:54 Is there too much onus on social media platforms?
13:40 Is it always clear-cut that harm has been caused?
21:43 The “eat slipper rice” case: when context matters
23:52 Can you report content that’s already disappeared?
31:47 Why is “justice” important for victims?
35:01The one online habit we would each ban
If you are a victim of intimate image abuse, image-based child abuse, doxing, online harassment and online stalking, you can make a report directly on OSC’s website at www.osc.gov.sg.
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Filmed by: Studio+65
Edited by: Eden Soh and Yang Jiesan Cruz
Executive producer: Danson Cheong
Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah, Elizabeth Law and Zachary Lim
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