Young victims of doxxing among 200 cases seen by Singapore's new Online Safety Commission

About 200 cases of online harm have been reported to Singapore's new Online Safety Commission (OSC) since it opened one month ago. The OSC is a government agency that helps people who have been hurt online. Some of the victims it has helped are children whose phone numbers and photos were posted on the internet without their families' permission. Minister for Law Edwin Tong shared these details on July 24 at an open house for SHECARES, a support center for people harmed online.

The OSC was created to be a one-stop agency for victims of online harm. Before it existed, people often felt frustrated because social media platforms were slow to remove harmful content. Now the OSC has the legal power to force platforms and group administrators to take down harmful posts quickly. This helps stop the spread of harmful content before it reaches even more people.

Two of the cases involved children who had their phone numbers and photos posted online without permission. Their families asked the OSC for help, and the commission worked with the platform to remove the posts and suspend the accounts that shared them. The parents later said they were relieved and thankful for how fast the OSC acted. This showed that the new commission could make a real difference for families in need.

Another case involved a person whose private video was uploaded to a website without their permission. The OSC ordered the website to take the video down, and the website followed the order and removed it. Cases like these show why having an agency with real legal power matters. Without the OSC, victims might have had to wait a long time for any action to be taken.

Minister Tong said that laws alone are not enough to keep people safe online. He pointed out that support centers like SHECARES are also very important. SHECARES is run by a non-profit group called SG Her Empowerment, also known as SHE. It offers free counseling, help with filing reports, and free legal advice through a program called Pro Bono SG.

A survey done by SHE in April found that nearly four in 10 people in Singapore have experienced online harm at some point in their lives. The survey included 1,048 Singapore citizens and permanent residents aged 15 and older. A quarter of those surveyed said they had experienced online harm in just the past year. Four in 10 survivors said they suffered serious effects, such as mental health problems, physical health issues, or money losses.

The survey also showed that men and women experience online harm differently. About 43 percent of male respondents said they had experienced online harm, compared to 32 percent of female respondents. Among young people aged 15 to 34, females were more likely to face online sexual harassment. Males in the same age group were more likely to face cancel campaigns or fake intimate images, such as sexual deepfakes.

A separate study on gender beliefs found that younger men were more likely to accept violence in a marriage. Minister Tong said this is a reminder that harmful actions online do not happen for no reason, and are often connected to harmful beliefs that go unchallenged. He said Singapore must work to break down these harmful ideas and encourage people to treat each other with respect. He also said Singapore must not be a society that accepts violence against anyone.

SHE's chairperson Stefanie Yuen Thio said that more and more people are choosing to stay silent online because they are afraid of being targeted. She said this is a serious problem because it means online conversations become less honest and less diverse. When people stop sharing their views out of fear, important voices go unheard. She said the internet should be a place where people feel safe to speak up.

The survey found that people who experience online harm want several kinds of support. They said they need help reporting harmful content, clear information about their legal rights, emotional support or counseling, and help making personal safety plans. The OSC's open house, which was open to the public on July 25, included fun interactive exhibits. One exhibit was a phone booth where visitors could record video messages of encouragement for online harm survivors.