2024年7月2日，新加坡数码发展及新闻部长杨莉明在国会书面答复荷兰-武吉知马集选区议员谢秉辉、波东巴西单选区议员司徒宇彬有关保护儿童免受潜在的社交媒体成瘾和有害内容侵袭的问题。
以下内容为新加坡眼根据国会英文资料翻译整理：
谢秉辉（荷兰-武吉知马集选区议员）先生询问通讯及信息部长，是否有计划对社交媒体平台实施更严格的监管，以保护儿童免受潜在成瘾和有害内容的侵袭。
杨莉明（数码发展及新闻部长）女士：我的答复还将包括司徒宇彬（波东巴西单选区议员）先生在后续会议上提出的类似问题。
新加坡政府坚信，要保护我们的公民，特别是儿童，免受有害的网络内容和潜在成瘾的侵袭。在这方面，监管发挥着重要作用。
针对网络危害，我们采取了有针对性的方法。根据《广播法令》（Broadcasting Act），资讯通信媒体发展局 (IMDA) 指定了六种在新加坡具有重大影响力的社交媒体服务平台 (SMS)。它们是 Facebook、HardwareZone、Instagram、TikTok、X（以前称为 Twitter）和 YouTube。这些社交媒体服务 (SMS)必须遵守 2023 年 7 月 18 日生效的《互联网行为准则》（Code of Practice for Online Safety）。《互联网行为准则》要求指定的社交媒体服务平台 (SMS)采取额外措施来加强儿童的网络安全。这些措施包括确保儿童不会接收社交媒体服务平台 (SMS)有理由认为有损其身心健康的内容的目标，为儿童设置更严格的账户设置，并为儿童或其父母提供管理其安全的工具。
指定的社交媒体服务平台 (SMS)应在 2024 年 7 月底之前提交第一份网络安全合规报告，我们将评估其是否遵守《互联网行为准则》，然后再评估是否有降要收紧任何要求。年龄保证仍然是我们确保儿童网络安全的主要考虑因素之一。虽然大多数主要社交媒体服务都要求用户至少年满13岁，但它们主要依靠用户的自我声明。随着年龄保证方法的日益普及，我们正在认真研究行业如何在这方面做得更多，以更好地保护儿童上网。
过度使用社交媒体也会产生焦虑、抑郁、失眠和压力相关问题。这些关联与使用社交媒体平台的时间、频率和数量有关。目前尚不清楚仅在社交媒体平台上贴上警告标签是否能有效遏制过度使用社交媒体。因此，我们采取了更全面的策略，包括教育家长和孩子，并为他们提供更有力的支持。
对于家长怀疑孩子可能对社交媒体产生依赖，可以向社区服务提供者寻求帮助，例如 TOUCH 社区服务，该服务为受影响的青少年提供咨询和干预计划。或者，家长也可以求助于专业服务机构，比如国立成瘾治疗服务（NAMS），以进行评估和干预。
我们还认识到，重要的是尽早提供支持，并在孩子出生前就提高父母的意识。预防胜于治疗。在这方面，政府致力于采取更果断和有效的措施，培养人们使用设备的习惯。卫生部 (MOH) 和社会及家庭发展部 (MSF) 通过儿童和孕产妇护理以及学前教育，负责监督 6 岁以下儿童的关键接触点。他们打算更清晰、更明确地提出有关设备使用和屏幕时间的建议，并在所有医疗保健机构中以更多的提醒方式一致地传达这些建议。他们可以在幼儿园实施这些建议，并鼓励在家中采用这些建议。卫生部和社会及家庭发展部将在未来几个月内完成并宣布这些举措。与此同时，数码发展及新闻部正与卫生部和 社会及家庭发展部合作，在切实可行的情况下加强保障措施。
以下是英文质询内容：
Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Minister for Communications and Information whether there are any plans to introduce stricter regulations on social media platforms to protect children from potential addiction and harmful content.
Mrs Josephine Teo: My response will also address a similar question for written answer raised by Mr Sitoh Yih Pin1 for a subsequent Sitting.
The Singapore Government strongly believes in protecting our citizens, especially children, from harmful online content and potential addiction. In this regard, regulation plays an important role.
On online harms, we have taken a targeted approach. Under the Broadcasting Act, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has designated six Social Media Services (SMSs) with significant reach or impact in Singapore. They are Facebook, HardwareZone, Instagram, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube. These SMSs are required to comply with the Code of Practice for Online Safety (Online Safety Code), which took effect on 18 July 2023. The Online Safety Code requires designated SMSs to have in place additional measures to enhance the online safety of children. These include ensuring that children are not targeted to receive content that SMSs are reasonably aware to be detrimental to their physical or mental well-being, having in place more restrictive account settings for children, and providing tools for children or their parents to manage their safety.
Designated SMSs are due to submit their first online safety compliance reports by end-July 2024 and we will evaluate their compliance with the Online Safety Code before assessing if there is a need to tighten any requirements. Age assurance remains one of our key considerations in ensuring the online safety of children. While most major social media services require users to be at least 13 years old, they rely primarily on users’ self-declaration. With the growing availability of age assurance methods, we are seriously studying how the industry can do more on this front to better protect children online.
Excessive use of social media is also a key concern associated with anxiety, depression, insomnia and stress. These associations are linked to the duration, frequency and number of social media platforms being used2. It is as yet unclear if putting warning labels on social media platforms, on its own, will be effective in curbing excessive use. We have instead adopted a more holistic strategy which includes educating and providing stronger support to parents and children.
For parents who suspect that their children may have developed dependency on social media, they can seek help from community service providers, such as TOUCH Community Services, which runs counselling and intervention programmes for affected youths. Alternatively, parents can tap on specialised services, such as the National Addictions Management Service (NAMS), for assessment and intervention.
We also recognise that it is important to go upstream to provide support and create awareness amongst parents early, even before the child is born. Prevention is better than cure. In this regard, the Government is committed to taking more decisive and effective measures to shape the habit of device usage. The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) oversee the key touchpoints for children up to six years old, through child and maternity care and preschools. They intend to make their advice on device usage and screen time clearer and more definitive and to deliver them consistently across all healthcare settings with more reminders. They can put such advice into practice in preschools and encourage their adoption at home. MOH and MSF will finalise and announce these initiatives in the coming months. At the same time, Ministry of Communications and Information is working with MOH and MSF to strengthen safeguards where practical.
Note(s) to Question No(s) 107:
1 Question subsequently withdrawn: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information whether the Government will consider requiring social media platforms to exhibit warnings of the harmful effects of excessive social media use by children or regulating the age on which a child is allowed to register for a social media account.
2 Zubair, U., Khan, M. K., & Albashari, M. (2023). Link between excessive social media use and psychiatric disorders. Annals of Medicine and Surgery, 85(4), 875–878. https://doi.org/10.1097/MS9.0000000000000112
HQ丨编辑
HQ丨编审
新加坡国会丨来源
