S1E115: This man can order TikTok and Facebook to take posts down - Singapore's online safety commissioner

In the first two months after the Online Safety Commission (OSC) started operations, the agency handled more than 500 reports of online harms. Doxing and online harassment made up the bulk of eligible reports.

The OSC is a new avenue - it launched on June 29 - that helps victims by compelling platforms and group administrators to remove harmful content quickly.

Can the OSC make the internet a safe space for users in Singapore?

Singapore’s Commissioner of Online Safety Francis Ng drops in on The Usual Place to talk about how the OSC has the power to tackle online harms, and why removing harmful content can give victims relief.

Also, if Ng could personally ban one harmful online behaviour, what would it be?

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:30 What does the Online Safety Commission do?

4:30 500+ cases, some of the material “very, very disturbing”

7:02 The AI sextortion case that stayed with Ng

9:54 Is there too much onus on social media platforms?

13:40 Is it always clear-cut that harm has been caused?

21:43 The “eat slipper rice” case: when context matters