In Your Opinion Podcast
Deepfakes, $50 intimate photos amid new digital regulations
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Stefanie Yuen Thio shares her personal ordeal as a deepfake victim and uncovers the severe realities of digital abuse facing youths in Singapore today.
ST GRAPHICS: TEO TONG KAI
Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore’s social issues of the day with guests.
Imagine discovering that your face and voice have been hijacked, manipulated into a deepfake, and broadcast across the internet. It is a chilling violation of privacy, and it proves a terrifying point: no one is immune to online harms.
As digital abuse, cyberbullying, and image-based violence become increasingly normalised, the rules of engagement are also shifting. Enter the Online Safety Commission (OSC) that Singapore is officially rolling out in June 2026.
This new regulatory watchdog is designed to force tech giants to take down harmful content and give victims some respite from the harassment and bullying. But will this new law actually have the teeth to protect us? Or will trolls quickly invent new ways to circumvent it?
In this episode of In Your Opinion, assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong sits down with Ms Stefanie Yuen Thio, legal expert and founder of SG Her Empowerment (SHE). Ms Yuen Thio shares her personal ordeal as a deepfake victim and uncovers the severe realities of digital abuse facing youths in Singapore today – including the alarming normalisation of teenagers selling intimate photos for $50.
Highlights (click/tap above):
3:14 Stefanie’s personal experience surviving a deepfake attack
7:43 How “trusted flaggers” like SHE get harmful content taken down faster than standard reporting
9:57 What the new Online Safety Commission (OSC) actually means for victims of cyberbullying
24:36 The disturbing reality of youths commodifying their bodies and selling intimate photos for $50
27:22 Beyond the law: The urgent need for age assurance technology and bystander intervention
Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH
Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v
Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg)
Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai
Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong
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