New Online Safety Commission launches in Singapore, victims can report these five online harms
Singapore residents who experience certain types of online abuse can now seek help from the newly launched Online Safety Commission (OSC), which officially began operations on Monday (29 June).
The commission provides a dedicated avenue for victims to report online harms and seek timely intervention, as part of the implementation of the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act 2025 (OSRAA), according to a Ministry of Law (MinLaw) press release.
OSC will initially handle five types of online harms
During its first phase of operations, the OSC will assist victims affected by five of the most common and serious forms of online harms.
These are online harassment (including online sexual harassment), doxxing, online stalking, intimate image abuse, and image-based child abuse.
Source: Africa Images on Canva. Image for illustration purposes only.
The remaining eight categories of online harms under OSRAA will be introduced progressively.
The reporting process depends on the type of online harm experienced.
Victims of online harassment and online stalking must first report the harmful content to the online platform where it was posted. If the platform does not respond promptly or provide an inadequate response within 24 hours, they can then submit a report to the OSC.
For more serious offences involving doxxing, intimate image abuse and image-based child abuse, victims may report directly to the OSC through its website.
Parents or guardians can also file reports on behalf of victims under the age of 18, while another individual may do so with the victim’s written authorisation.
There is no fee to submit a report to the OSC.
Source: Junaid Rahim on Unsplash. Image for illustration purposes only
Commissioner can order content removal or account restrictions
After receiving a report, the OSC will assess whether there are reasonable grounds to suspect that online harm has occurred.
If so, the Commissioner of Online Safety may issue directions requiring action 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 it appears, or the platform hosting the content.
For example, the Commissioner may order harmful content to be made inaccessible or require restrictions to be placed on the offender’s account.
Failure to comply with such directions is a criminal offence.
Victims can also receive counselling and support
Beyond helping to remove harmful content, the OSC said victims and their families can seek additional assistance from its community partners.
Source: OSC
Its current partners are Fei Yue Community Services, Samaritans of Singapore, SG Her Empowerment (SHE), Singapore Children’s Society and TOUCH Community Services. They can provide counselling, guide victims through the reporting process and offer other forms of support.
Those who disagree with the Commissioner’s decision may apply for a reconsideration within 14 days. If they remain dissatisfied after the review, they may appeal to an independent Online Safety Appeal Panel within another 14 days.
A S$200 application fee applies for appeals to the panel.
New legal remedies also take effect
Alongside the OSC’s launch, victims now have new legal rights under OSRAA to file civil claims in court against those responsible for online harms.
The law places duties on people who communicate or publish harmful content, administrators who run online groups, pages or forums, and online platforms that host such content.
Victims of the most serious image-based offences may also receive minimum compensation. The courts will award at least S$5,000 for each image or recording involved in an intimate image abuse or child abuse material case.
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 for victims of online harms, said MinLaw.
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Featured image adapted from OSC and OSC.Â
