Singapore launches Online Safety Commission to address severe online harms

Singapore’s Online Safety Commission began operations on 29 June 2026, creating a dedicated route for victims of serious online harms to seek support and redress.

The commission supports the office of the Commissioner of Online Safety under Singapore’s Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act 2025. Some provisions on statutory torts under the Act also came into effect on the same date.

In its first phase, the commission will handle five categories of online harm. These are online harassment, including online sexual harassment, doxxing, online stalking, intimate image abuse and image-based child abuse.

For online harassment and online stalking, victims are generally expected to report the harmful content to the relevant platform first. If the platform does not respond promptly or gives an inadequate response within 24 hours, the matter may be reported to the commission.

More serious harms, including doxxing and image-based abuse, can be reported directly to the commission.

Where there is reason to suspect that online harm has occurred, the Commissioner may issue directions to the person who posted the content, the administrator of the online space or the platform hosting it. These directions may require access to harmful content to be disabled or an account to be restricted. Failure to comply is a criminal offence.

The law also creates court-based civil remedies. Victims may bring claims against communicators, administrators or platforms that fail to meet duties set out in the legislation.

For intimate image abuse and image-based child abuse, courts must award at least S$5,000 for each image or recording if the claim succeeds.

The commission will also work with community partners that can provide counselling and practical support to victims and families.

The new framework combines platform reporting, administrative directions, community support and civil claims. It is particularly relevant for cases where rapid action is needed, such as image-based abuse, doxxing and child safety incidents.