MOS Rahayu Mahzam’s Opening Remarks for Singapore’s ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) Activity on Countering Online Harms for Women and Children

Across ASEAN, we face common challenges arising from the misuse of technology.

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   For example, advances in technology have allowed scammers to transcend borders, and use AI to conduct hyper realistic ruses to cheat and steal from others.

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   Technology has also facilitated the creation of new types of online harms. We need not look far for examples of how bad actors have misused generative AI to create and spread deepfakes of others.

Our region is becoming more digitally connected than ever before. Today, there are over half a billion internet users in Southeast Asia-more than triple from a decade ago . But increased digital access also means greater risk of exposure to online harms.

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   I will cite some examples in Singapore's context. A survey conducted by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information last year found that over 80% of Singapore residents reported encountering harmful online content, such as cyberbullying and sexual content.

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   The concerns are more acute when it comes to more vulnerable users, such as children. In a separate study on digital parenting , over half of parents expressed concern that their child may encounter online harms, and wanted stronger legislation to protect children online.

Exposure to online harms can in turn have a knock-on impact on digital participation.

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   A 2023 study by SG Her Empowerment found that nearly 80% of Singaporeans felt uncomfortable expressing their personal views on potentially controversial topics, for fear of being attacked online.

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   The same study also found that over 60% of Singaporeans resorted to self-censorship or restricting their online activities to minimise the risk of experiencing online harms.

These concerns may be familiar to you as well. In fact, nearly 80% of children in Southeast Asia between ages eight and 18 may have encountered at least one form of online risk in the post-pandemic period . This greatly underscores the need to tackle the problem seriously, so that we can build a safer digital future for all, especially the most vulnerable among us.

In Singapore, we start with the vision of empowering citizens, including women and children, to thrive in a digital society. An indispensable part of achieving this is through whole-of-society approach to tackling online harms. We do so in three areas - legislation, public education, and collaborations.

First, on legislation. Singapore has taken an accretive approach to strengthening our online safety laws. I will cite some broad examples.

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   In 2022, we amended our Broadcasting Act to allow the Singapore Government to direct social media services to disable access to egregious content, such as child sexual exploitation material.

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   Last November, the Singapore Parliament passed the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act to strengthen support for victims of online harms, including online harassment, intimate image abuse and online stalking. As part of this new law, we will establish the Online Safety Commission, a dedicated agency to support victims of online harms in seeking recourse, by the middle of this year.

Next, we complement legislation with public education, because we believe it is crucial for individuals to know how to stay safe online and respond to online harms.

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   In Singapore, our people have access to resources on online safety via platforms such as the Digital for Life portal and the Parenting for Wellness toolbox. Together, these resources provide practical tips to parents on guiding their children's digital journey, including how to keep children safe online.

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   Since late last year, the Singapore Government has also been working with community partners to roll out digital parenting programmes, to better support parents in nurturing children to be safe and responsible users of technology.

Lastly, collaborations. The challenge of countering online harms is too big for governments alone to tackle. That is why it is crucial for us to work closely with like-minded partners, both at home and in the region, to better support victims of online harms.

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   We take heart that we have made progress on this front in Singapore. For example, SG Her Empowerment runs SHECARES, Singapore's dedicated support centre for victims of online harms. The establishment of this centre was made possible with the support of the Singapore Council of Women's Organisations, who contributed expertise in victim support in the centre's first three years.

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   Another example is TOUCH Community Services, which has over 20 years of experience in running cyber wellness engagements. TOUCH operates a hotline to support those affected by cyber wellness issues, and offers educational programmes to equip parents and children to stay safe online and manage online risks.

At the regional level, the transnational nature of online harms makes it crucial for ASEAN to work closely together to enhance capabilities to tackle this shared challenge.

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   Since its establishment, the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) has played a key role in promoting capacity-building and the sharing of best practices to help vulnerable segments in our societies.

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   One of the Commission's key strengths lies in its ability to bring together stakeholders from multiple domains for meaningful and constructive dialogue on human rights-related issues and how governments can better protect the vulnerable.

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   Today's Roundtable was developed by leveraging this very strength, which builds upon the Commission's work in other areas, like digital safety for children, and tackling mis- and disinformation. I am hopeful that today's Roundtable will be enriched by the diverse perspectives that all of you bring - including government, civil society, and technology companies.