2025年2月18日，新加坡数码发展与新闻部政务部长拉哈尤.玛赞代表部长在国会口头答复杨厝港单选区议员叶汉荣关于有效落实手机应用年龄验证与限制功能的质询。
以下内容为新加坡眼根据国会英文资料翻译整理：
叶汉荣（杨厝港单选区议员）询问主管数码发展与新闻部长：
（a）鉴于儿童可能通过父母的用户账户下载应用，当局计划如何确保应用商店有效落实年龄验证与限制措施，使儿童仅能接触适合其年龄的应用？（b）是否会考虑强制要求应用商店采用更严格的年龄验证方式，如人脸识别技术，防止儿童利用父母密码或生物识别数据绕过年龄限制？
拉哈尤.玛赞（新加坡数码发展与新闻部政务部长，代表部长）：议长先生，资讯通信媒体发展局（IMDA）发布的应用商店行为准则（Code for App Distribution Services）将于2025年3月31日生效。该守则旨在降低用户，尤其是年轻用户在应用程序上接触有害内容的风险。
为实现这一目标，《准则》要求指定应用程序商店采取年龄保证措施，防止年轻用户访问与年龄不符的应用程序。通过使用面部估算技术进行年龄估算，是指定应用程序商店为满足要求而可选择实施的措施之一。但《准则》不规定具体方法或技术，指定应用商店可自行决定最有效的实施方案，前提是达到预期的在线安全效果。
资媒局将在未来数月继续与这些应用商店就其执行计划进行磋商。初期要求包括：至少能识别18岁以下用户，并禁止其访问最高年龄分级应用（如18+）。资媒局将评估相关计划是否符合《准则》要求。
单靠监管难以防止父母或其他成年人协助儿童绕过年龄验证措施。因此，教育家长认识其在保护儿童网络安全方面的重要角色至关重要。为此，政府通过公共教育项目，帮助家长掌握引导子女数字生活、防范网络风险的知识与技能。例如，教育部、社会及家庭发展部与保健促进局于2024年9月推出“亲子身心培育指南”（Parenting for Wellness）计划，提供管理屏幕使用、应对网络霸凌等主题资源。家长亦可访问资媒局"数码益终身"（Digital for Life ）网站，获取安全负责任使用数码技术的实用策略。
我们将继续就年龄保证要求和实施与业界密切合作，这是我们不断努力加强新加坡在线安全的一部分。
[根据会议常规第 22(3)条的规定，如议员并无要求将其名下的质询押后至稍后的会议日提出或撤回，则质询时间结束 时议员仍未提问的书面答复，现载于附录。］
以下是英文质询内容：
Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) how does the Ministry plan to ensure the effective implementation of age verification and restriction measures by app stores so that only age-appropriate apps are accessible to children given that children may download apps through their parents' user accounts; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider mandating more robust age verification methods such as facial recognition technology, to prevent children from bypassing age restrictions using their parents' passwords or biometric data.
The Minister of State for Digital Development and Information (Ms Rahayu Mahzam) (for the Minister for Digital Development and Information): Mr Speaker, the Code of Practice for Online Safety for App Distribution Services published by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) will take effect on 31 March 2025. It aims to reduce the risk of exposure to harmful content for users, especially young users, on apps.
To achieve its objective, the Code requires designated app stores to put in place age assurance measures to prevent young users from accessing age-inappropriate apps. Age estimation through the use of facial estimation technology is one of the measures which designated app stores can choose to implement to meet the requirements. However, the Code does not prescribe specific methods or technologies. The designated app stores can decide what works best for them, as long as the online safety outcomes are met.
IMDA will continue to engage these app stores over the next few months on their implementation plans. For a start, they are minimally expected to be able to ascertain users under 18 and prevent them from accessing their highest age-rated apps, for example, 18+. IMDA will assess if the plans meet the requirements under the Code.
Regulations alone are unlikely to prevent a parent or any adult from helping a child circumvent the age assurance measures. It is also important to educate parents on their important role in keeping children safe online. To this end, the Government has put in place public education efforts to equip parents with the knowledge and skills to guide their children’s digital journey and safeguard them against risks online. As an example, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social and Family Development and Health Promotion Board launched the Parenting for Wellness initiative in September 2024, which covers resources on various topics such as managing screen use and addressing cyberbullying. Parents can also visit the IMDA’s Digital for Life portal for bite-sized strategies on safe and responsible use of digital technologies.
We will continue to work closely with the industry on the age assurance requirements and implementation as part of our ongoing efforts to enhance online safety in Singapore.
3.07 pm
Mr Speaker: Mr Yip, I am sorry, but we are out of time. Order, end of Question Time. I propose to take a break now. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 3.30 pm.
[Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), provided that Members had not asked for questions standing in their names to be postponed to a later Sitting day or withdrawn, written answers to questions not reached by the end of Question Time are reproduced in the Appendix.]
Sitting accordingly suspended
at 3.07 pm until 3.30 pm.
Sitting resumed at 3.30 pm.
[Mr Speaker in the Chair]
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