TIERED ACCESS TO SOCIAL MEDIA
Summing up the discussions at the forum, Mrs Teo said there was broad support for tiered access and stronger expectations that tech companies take responsibility for designing safer platforms.
She said safety should extend beyond moderating harmful content to features that shape user behaviour, such as recommendation algorithms, design elements that encourage constant use and the ability to interact with strangers.
“If we really want to create a child-safe environment, making sure it doesn’t stop at the border called content but instead goes into considerations that define the features, the design of these services, is something that has also come across very loudly and clearly.”
Beyond regulation, she said ensuring children’s online safety requires a whole-of-society effort spanning government, industry, educators, parents and young people.
Many parents, she acknowledged, face growing uncertainty guiding their children online as the digital landscape evolves rapidly.
“We need to journey along with each other, help each other, support each other, learn new tools of the trade … and also acquire new skills in terms of helping them to foster healthy digital habits,” she said.
Mrs Teo also welcomed what she described as growing agency among young people, saying many of whom are becoming more discerning about the platforms they use.
Citing feedback from youth participants at the forum, she said: “They may well say if a platform isn’t going to take care of my safety, if a platform isn’t willing to look after my well-being, then maybe I will sign off and go somewhere else.”
Around 150 people attended the forum, including global regulators, community and industry partners, academics and experts.
The Ministry of Digital Development and Information said separately on Friday that it is engaging a wide range of stakeholders, including parents and youths, to gather views on building a safer digital environment for young users.
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