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Online Safety Commission
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Media Release

The Online Safety Commission Begins Operations on 29 June 2026

28 June 2026

Victims of online harms now have a dedicated channel to seek timely recourse.

  1. The Online Safety Commission (OSC) will begin operations on 29 June 2026, providing victims of online harms in Singapore a dedicated and easily accessible avenue to seek timely redress. 

  2. Established to support the office of the Commissioner of Online Safety created by the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act 2025 (OSRAA), the OSC marks a significant milestone in Singapore's commitment to protecting individuals online. Specified provisions on the statutory torts under OSRAA also come into effect tomorrow, strengthening protections for victims across the online ecosystem.  

More support for five online harms in first phase of operations

  1. In its first phase of operations, the OSC will support victims affected by five of the most prevalent and severe online harms1 faced by Singapore citizens and residents: (i) online harassment (including online sexual harassment), (ii) doxxing, (iii) online stalking, (iv) intimate image abuse, and (v) image-based child abuse. The remaining eight categories2 of online harms under OSRAA will be progressively implemented.  

  2. Those who have experienced any of the aforesaid five online harms and wish to make a report to the OSC should take the following steps: 

    1. Report to the platform: For cases involving online harassment and online stalking, victims should first report the harmful content to the platform on which it appears. If the platform fails to respond promptly or provides an inadequate response within 24 hours, victims may then file a report with the OSC. 

    2. Approach the OSC directly for more severe harms: For cases involving intimate image abuse, image-based child abuse and doxxing, victims may report directly to the OSC through its website (www.osc.gov.sg (opens in new tab)). 

Reporting to the OSC  

  1. When victims make reports via the OSC’s website, they will be guided through the reporting process. Victims will need to provide information3 of the online harm that had occurred to them.

  2. Parents and guardians may file reports on behalf of victims who are under 18 years of age. A report may also be submitted by another individual on behalf of a victim, with the victim's written authorisation. There is no fee required to make a report to the OSC. 

Actions that will be taken by the OSC 

  1. OSC will assess the report. If there is reason to suspect that online harm has occurred, the Commissioner may issue directions to stop or limit the harm. These directions may be issued to the person who posted the harmful content, the administrator of the online group or page where the harmful content appears, or the platform hosting the content. For example, the Commissioner may direct that access to the harmful content be disabled, or that the perpetrator’s account be restricted. Non-compliance with a direction is a criminal offence.  

  2. Six online service providers4 will be prescribed to have additional obligations under the OSRAA, reflecting a higher level of responsibility to ensure a safe online space for Singapore users. These online service providers are assessed to have significant reach or impact in Singapore. 

  3. The OSC operates a no-wrong-door policy. Regardless of which government agency victims first approach – whether the OSC, or another agency – they will be guided to the appropriate help.

Providing support beyond content removal 

  1. The OSC recognises that experiencing online harms can be deeply distressing, and that victims may need support beyond the removal of harmful content. Victims and their families are encouraged to seek help from the OSC’s current community partners5 – Fei Yue Community Services, Samaritans of Singapore, SHE - SG Her Empowerment, Singapore Children’s Society, and TOUCH Community Services. These community partners can guide victims on how to make a report to the OSC and provide other forms of assistance such as counselling.   

  2. The OSC's website also provides victims and the public with resources on online harms, including information on the different types of online harms, what to do when you experience them, and how to keep yourself safe online. 

Further review of the OSC’s decisions  

  1. OSRAA provides for a two-stage review mechanism for all reports filed to the OSC.  

    1. Eligible persons6 may seek a reconsideration of the Commissioner’s decision if they disagree with it. Applications for reconsideration must be made no later than 14 days after the initial OSC decision has been issued. Where an application for reconsideration has been made, the Commissioner may affirm, revoke, vary, or substitute the initial decision. There is no fee for applying for a reconsideration. 

    2. Parties who remain dissatisfied with the Commissioner’s decision after reconsideration may appeal to an Online Safety Appeal Panel. The appeal panel acts independently of the OSC and can affirm, revoke, vary, or substitute the Commissioner's decision. Appeals should be made no later than 14 days after the Commissioner’s reconsidered decision has been issued. A $200 application fee is payable upon submission of an appeal. 

  2. A six-member appeal panel, comprising experienced individuals with expertise in various fields, including law, clinical psychology, and academia, has been appointed by the Minister for Digital Development and Information for a three-year term. The panel will be chaired by  
    Professor Leslie Chew SC, Dean, School of Law, Singapore University of Social Sciences. Dr Natalie Pang, Associate Professor, Department of Communications and New Media, National University of Singapore, will act as vice chairperson. The profiles of the appeal panel members are available in Annex D. 

  3. More information on applications for reconsideration and appeals can be found on the OSC’s website.  

Applications for End-User Identity (EUI) information

  1. Victims who do not know who harmed them online may apply to the OSC for help identifying the person responsible, if they are thinking of commencing, or intend to commence, civil proceedings against such person. If the application is successful, information disclosed must only be used for its stated purposes and disclosure will be subject to conditions. Applications must be made within 12 months from when the online harm occurred or when the victim first became aware of it, whichever is later. 

New legal remedies under OSRAA 

  1. Victims of online harms will also have additional rights under OSRAA to bring civil claims in Court. These rights are provided through new statutory torts, which will cover the five types of online harms outlined earlier during the first phase of operationalisation.  

  2. The statutory torts operate by setting out duties for different actors in the online ecosystem. Where these duties are breached, victims may bring civil claims in Court against those responsible. These duties apply to three groups of online actors:  

    1. Communicators: A person must not communicate or publish harmful material, or engage in harmful online conduct.

    2. Administrators: This includes persons who administer online groups, pages, forums or other online spaces. They must not set up or run these spaces in a way that facilitates online harm. They must also take reasonable steps to address such harm when properly notified. 

    3. Platforms: Platforms must take reasonable steps to address online harm when properly notified, and do so within a reasonable time. 

  3. The duty of an administrator or platform to respond reasonably when notified of harm is triggered upon the victim sending an Online Harm Notice to them in the prescribed form and manner. Victims may access this form on MinLaw’s Online Safety website. The form may also be hosted on a platform’s online service as a webform. For such platforms, MinLaw’s Online Safety website will provide the link to the webform. 

  4. Whether an administrator or platform has responded reasonably to such a notice will depend on the facts of each case. Platforms that are prescribed for purposes of the statutory torts must take steps to address the harm within specified time periods, unless they show to the Court that it was not reasonable to do so within that time. Please see Annex E for the list of platforms prescribed for purposes of the statutory torts. 

  5. The statutory torts are designed with the realities of online harm in mind. For example, where losses may be difficult to prove, OSRAA provides for minimum damages for the most serious image-based harms. For intimate image abuse and image-based child abuse, the Court will award at least $5,000 for each image or recording if the claim is made out.

  6. OSRAA’s court-based remedies complement existing remedies under the Protection from Harassment Act (“POHA”). Victims of online harassment, doxxing or stalking may continue to seek remedies against communicators under POHA, including Protection Orders. OSRAA provides additional remedies for other specified online harms, such as intimate image abuse and image-based child abuse, and for victims who wish to hold administrators or platforms accountable for failing to act reasonably after receiving an Online Harm Notice. For more information, please visit MinLaw’s Online Safety website. 

Continuing efforts to build a safer online space in Singapore 

  1. With the establishment of the OSC, Singapore becomes one of only a few countries worldwide to have a government agency dedicated to providing timely relief to victims of online harms. 

  2. The operationalisation of OSRAA is part of the continuing efforts by the Singapore Government to ensure Singaporeans are safe online. In the past two years, IMDA has issued the Code of Practice for Online Safety - App Distribution Services and published the Online Safety Assessment Reports on Designated Social Media Services to hold online platforms accountable for the services they provide, while keeping Singaporeans informed so that they can in turn protect their families and loved ones.  

JOINTLY ISSUED BY THE ONLINE SAFETY COMMISSION, MINISTRY OF DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT AND INFORMATION AND MINISTRY OF LAW 


Annex A  

Table 1: Categories of online harms to be addressed by the OSC  

S/N 

Implementation 

Online Harm 

1 

Effective from 29 June 2026 

Online harassment (including online sexual harassment)*  

2 

Doxxing*  

3 

Online stalking* 

4 

Intimate image abuse* 

5 

Image-based child abuse* 

6 

Progressive implementation 


Online impersonation* 

7 

Inauthentic material abuse* 

8 

Online instigation of disproportionate harm* 

9 

Incitement of violence* 

10 

Incitement of enmity  

11 

Publication of false material  

12 

Publication of statement harmful to reputation  

13 

Non-consensual disclosure of private information 

*Categories of online harms to which statutory torts are applicable.  


Table 2: Descriptions of the five online harms 

1. 

Online harassment (including online sexual harassment) 


Online harassment is when someone shares threatening, abusive, insulting, sexual or indecent material about you or sends such material to you online. 

2. 

Doxxing  

Doxxing is when someone shares your identity information online with the intention to cause harm to you. 

3. 

Online stalking 


Online stalking is when someone repeatedly makes or tries to make unwanted contact with you. 

4. 

Intimate image abuse 

Intimate image abuse is when someone shares intimate images or videos of you online without your consent. This includes advertisements or offers of the images or videos. The images or videos can be real or generated. 

5. 

Image-based child abuse 

Image-based child abuse is when someone shares sexual, violent or abusive images or videos of a child under 16 online. This includes advertisements or offers of the images or videos. These images or videos can be real or generated. 


Table 3: List of directions and orders that the OSC may issue (effective 29 June 2026)

Party 

Direction / Order Issued by the OSC 

Communicator 

  1. Stop Communication Direction. To take steps to ensure that harmful material cannot be accessed by persons in Singapore. Where there is a large volume of material to be addressed, the direction may also require that a class of material (e.g. all content with specific hashtags or slurs targeting a victim) cannot be accessed.  

  2. Restraining Direction. To refrain from engaging in similar online harms.  

Administrator 

  1. Stop Communication Direction. To take steps to ensure that harmful material cannot be accessed by persons in Singapore. Where there is a large volume of material to be addressed, the direction may also require that a class of material (e.g. all content with specific hashtags or slurs targeting a victim) cannot be accessed. An administrator may also be required to suspend or shut down the online location where the online harm is occurring. 

  2. Restraining Direction. To refrain from starting or administering an online location (such as a “group” page) accessible in Singapore in a manner that facilitates or permits online harms to be conducted at that online location. 

  3. Labelling Direction. To post a notice setting out past occurrences of online harms subject to OSC directions at a given online location, with the notice to be accessible by persons in Singapore. Requirements may be specified for the form of the notice and manner of posting, amongst others. 

  4. Account Restriction (Administrator) Direction. To restrict access to an online location by a Singapore account# or any new accounts created by the account holder.  

# A Singapore account refers to an account where the account holder is a Singapore citizen, permanent resident in Singapore, a Singapore entity or a person physically present in Singapore. 

Platform 

  1. Access Disabling Direction. To take steps to ensure that harmful material or online locations (such as a “group” page hosted on the platform) cannot be accessed by persons in Singapore. Prescribed platforms may also be required to take similar steps in respect of identical copies of the harmful material or online locations where such material are found. 

  2. Account Restriction (Online Service) Direction. To restrict interactions between an account and persons in Singapore, or to ban a Singapore account from the platform. Prescribed platforms may also be required to take similar steps in respect of any new account created by the account holder. 

Internet Access Service Provider 

Access Blocking Order. If an Administrator or a Platform fails to comply with OSC directions to address online harms, Internet Access Service Providers may be required to take steps to ensure that an online location (such as a “group” page or the Platform’s website) cannot be accessed by persons in Singapore. 

App Distribution Service Provider 

App Removal Order. If a Platform fails to comply with OSC directions to address online harms, App Distribution Service Providers may be required to take steps to stop distributing an app (such as the Platform’s mobile app) to persons in Singapore. 


Annex B: Prescribed Online Service Providers for the purposes of the OSC 

The platforms listed below will be prescribed as Prescribed Online Service Providers (POSPs) under the OSRAA for additional requirements: 

  • Meta Platforms, Inc., in respect of Facebook  

  • Meta Platforms, Inc., in respect of Instagram  

  • Google LLC, in respect of YouTube 

  • X Corp., in respect of X 

  • TikTok Pte. Ltd.  

  • SPH Media Limited, in respect of HardwareZone Forums 

POSPs can be given additional directions and notices. The following table provides an overview of what these are. 


Directions and notices which can be given 

All platforms, including non-POSPs 


  1. Access Disabling Direction to disable access to a given online material 

  1. Account Restriction (Online Service) Direction to restrict or disable a given online account 

  1. Notice to provide any information or document that is within the platforms’ knowledge, custody or control 

POSPs 

Additional directions and notices, including: 

  1. Access Disabling Directions to disable access to identical copies of a given online material, or future communications of that material 

  1. Access Disabling (Class of Material) Directions to disable access to a class of online material, including future communications of material falling within that class of material 

  1. Account Restriction (Online Service) Directions to restrict or disable future accounts created by a perpetrator of online harm 

  1. Engagement Reduction Direction to reduce engagement with a class of online material  

  1. Notice to collect information of an end-user that may identify or lead to the identification of that end-user, which the POSP might not already possess. 


Annex C: Definition of Eligible Persons 

Eligible persons to apply for reconsideration can be found in Section 56 of OSRAA. Briefly, eligible person under Section 56 include: 

  1. The victim who made the report, or the victim on whose behalf the report was made. 

  2. Where the victim is below 18 years of age, the victim’s parent or guardian. 

  3. A person (including a public agency) who has been authorised in writing to submit an application for reconsideration by the victim. 

  4. The recipient of a Part 5 direction that was given. 

  5. A person affected by a Part 5 direction that was given, who is of such description as may be prescribed, which include: 

  • In relation to a stop communication direction – the communicator of any relevant material. 

  • In relation to an access disabling direction – a communicator of any relevant material, or the administrator of any relevant location 

  • In relation to an account restriction (administrator) direction – the owner of the relevant Singapore account 

  • In relation to an account restriction (online service) direction – the owner of a relevant account or relevant Singapore account


Annex D

Profiles of Online Safety Appeal Panel Members 

Member 

Profile 

Chairperson 

Professor Leslie Chew SC  

(周贵和)  

Dean, School of Law, Singapore University of Social Sciences 


Professor Leslie Chew Kwee Hoe PBM, PPA (P), Senior Counsel is the Founding Dean of the School of Law at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) since 2015. He has over four decades of experience in legal practice, the judiciary, and academia. 

Professor Chew began his legal career as a Legal Officer with the Ministry of Defence, Singapore, and as State Counsel and Deputy Public Prosecutor. He subsequently held senior positions in private practice, including as Joint Managing Partner at KhattarWong & Partners and Partner at Gurbani & Co. From 2007 to 2014, he served as Senior District Judge at the State Courts. He was appointed Senior Counsel in 2000. 

Vice Chairperson 

Associate Professor Natalie Pang (彭丽珊) 

Head, Department of Communications and New Media, National University of Singapore 


Associate Professor Natalie Pang is Head of the Department of Communications and New Media, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, at the National University of Singapore (NUS), with a concurrent appointment as University Librarian at NUS Libraries. 

Her research focuses on the social dimensions of technology, with particular emphasis on digital citizenship, digital equity and well-being, and the impact of social media on civil society. 

Professor Lee Pey Woan  

(李佩婉) 

Dean, Yong Pung How School of Law, Singapore Management University 

Lee Pey Woan is Professor of Law at Singapore Management University, and is currently Dean of the Yong Pung How School of Law. 

Pey Woan teaches Corporate Law and the Law of Torts, but her research interests encompass company, private and commercial law. More recently, she has been examining the civil aspects of regulating online harms. She has published widely in local and leading international journals, and has also co-authored textbooks on Contract Law, Tort Law and Company Law. Her works have been cited by the Singapore Court of Appeal, the Singapore High Court and the Canadian Supreme Court.  

Apart from academic activities, Pey Woan also holds advisory appointments as a member of the Corporate Law Advisory Panel and the Securities Industry Council. 

Associate Professor  

Carol Soon  

(孙婉婷) 

Associate Professor (Practice) and Deputy Head, Department of Communications and New Media, National University of Singapore 

Dr Carol Soon is Associate Professor (Practice) and Deputy Head at the Department of Communications and New Media, National University of Singapore (NUS). She is Principal Investigator at the NUS Centre for Trusted Internet and Community, and Adjunct Principal Scientist at the Centre for Advanced Technologies in Online Safety (CATOS). She is also a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Information Integrity. 

Her research focuses on media regulation and digital policy, social media governance, online safety and digital literacy. Prior to joining NUS, she was Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, leading research on media and digital policy for over 12 years. She is Vice Chairperson of the Media Literacy Council and serves on the National Crime Prevention Council. 

Dr Lim Choon Guan  

(林春源) 

Senior Consultant and Chief, Department of Developmental Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health 


Dr Lim Choon Guan is a Senior Consultant and Chief of the Department of Developmental Psychiatry at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH). His research interests include ADHD and child and adolescent mental health. 

He holds adjunct appointments as Assistant Professor at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and Nanyang Technological University, and is a Senior Clinical Tutor at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. 

Ms June Tang  

(邓佩雯) 

Senior Counselling Psychologist, The Psychology Practice 


Ms June Tang is a registered psychologist and senior clinician working across community and private practice settings. She currently serves as Senior Counselling Psychologist at The Psychology Practice.  

With over 18 years of clinical experience, she works with youths, adults, couples, and families experiencing a range of interpersonal, emotional, behavioural challenges. Her clinical work is grounded in trauma-informed, attachment-focused practice. She also contributes to professional training through clinical supervision and tertiary-level teaching. 


Annex E: Prescribed Online Service Providers for purposes of the statutory torts 

The platforms listed below will be prescribed as Prescribed Online Service Providers (POSPs) under the OSRAA for additional duties to respond reasonably to Online Harm Notices within specified timeframes: 

  • Google LLC, in respect of YouTube 

  • Google LLC, in respect of Google Maps Reviews 

  • Meta Platforms Inc., in respect of Facebook 

  • Meta Platforms Inc., in respect of Instagram 

  • Meta Platforms Inc., in respect of Threads 

  • WhatsApp LLC, in respect of WhatsApp 

  • X Corp., in respect of X 

  • SPH Media Limited, in respect of HardwareZone Forums 

  • TikTok Pte. Ltd. 

  • Reddit, Inc. 

  • Telegram Messenger Inc. 

  • WeChat International Pte. Ltd., in respect of WeChat 

These platforms must respond reasonably to Online Harm Notices within the following specified timeframes. 

Type of Harm 

Specified timeframe for responding to online harm notices 

Intimate image abuse or image-based child abuse  

24 hours 

Exception: For cases that depict a person’s exposed genital or anal region, or breasts, if the person is female, the timeframe will be 6 hours. 

All other harms 

48 hours