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In brief

On 25 August 2025, the Minister for Digital Development and Information mentioned that the government is exploring effective ways to engage with social media platforms to ensure a safer digital environment for younger users.

One option that the government is currently considering is for social media platforms to implement age assurance/verification measures to appropriately match user content with their actual age.


In more detail

Age assurance measures

Age assurance measures refer to systems or processes to establish a person’s age or age range, including age estimation and age verification. This is in line with the approach adopted by various governments and regulators worldwide, as well as by the Ministry for Digital Development and Information (MDDI) earlier this year, to ensure that online services are age-appropriate and tailored to children.

While designated app distribution services are currently subject to age assurance obligations (see our client alert from January 2025 for more details), the MDDI is currently assessing whether these obligations should apply to social media services as well.

The MDDI will be initiating discussions with designated social media services regarding age assurance requirements (and the implementation of these requirements), ensuring that these measures also safeguard users’ personal data appropriately. The intent is for the authorities to work together with social media platforms to moderate exposure to inappropriate content on social media.

Online safety

The Minister also shared that the Online Safety (Relief & Accountability) Bill will be tabled after parliament reopens next month. See our client alert from April 2025 for more details on this bill.

The Online Safety Commission, a new government agency dedicated to assisting victims of online harms, is expected to be set up in the first half of next year.

Key takeaways

Singapore’s latest initiative is part of a broader global trend to enhance protection for children against digital harms (see our client alert from January 2025 for more details on recent discussions on a potential social media ban for children).

If you would like to discuss any of the issues raised above, please reach out to your usual Baker McKenzie contact.

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Andy Leck is a distinguished senior legal practitioner in Intellectual Property and Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) matters. He is the head of the Intellectual Property and Technology (IPTech) Practice Group in Singapore, and serves as the Asia Pacific head of Baker McKenzie's TMT Industry Group. Andy is widely recognized by reputable global industry and legal publications as a leader in his field. He was named on "The A-List: Singapore's Top 100 lawyers" by Asia Business Law Journal since 2018. Chambers Asia Pacific notes that Andy as "a well-known IP practitioner who is highlighted for his record of handling major trade mark litigation, as well as commercial exploitation of IP rights in the media and technology sectors. He's been in the industry for a long time and has always been held in high regard. He is known to be very fair and is someone you would like to be in the trenches with you during negotiations." Furthermore, Asian Legal Business acknowledges Andy as a leading practitioner in his field and notes that he “always gives good, quick advice, [is] client-focused and has strong technical knowledge for his areas of practice.” Under his leadership, the TMT team in Singapore is highly regarded for its expertise in “outsourcing, cloud computing and TMT IP-related mandates” and “data privacy, compliance, technology and telecoms regulations.” Andy was appointed by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) as an IP Adjudicator to hear IP disputes between 2021 and 2023. He has been an appointed member of the Singapore Copyright Tribunal since May 2010 and a mediator with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center, as well as the Singapore Mediation Centre.

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Ren Jun Lim is a principal with Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow. He represents local and international clients in both contentious and non-contentious intellectual property matters. He also advises on a full range of healthcare, as well as consumer goods-related legal and regulatory issues. Ren Jun co-leads Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow's Healthcare as well as Consumer Goods & Retail industry groups. He sits on the Law Society of Singapore IP Committee and on the Executive Committee of the Association of Information Security Professionals. He is also a member of the Vaccines Working Group, Singapore Association of Pharmaceutical Industries, a member of the International Trademark Association, as well as a member of the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Association. Ren Jun is ranked in the Silver tier for Individuals: Enforcement and Litigation and Individuals: Prosecution and Strategy, and a recommended lawyer for Individuals: Transactions by WTR 1000, 2020. He is also listed in Asia IP's Best 50 IP Expert, 2020, recognised as a Rising Star by Managing IP: IP Stars, 2019 and one of Singapore's 70 most influential lawyers aged 40 and under by Singapore Business Review, 2016. Ren Jun was acknowledged by WTR 1000 as a "trademark connoisseur who boasts supplementary knowledge of regulatory issues in the consumer products industry." He was also commended by clients for being "very responsive to enquiries and with a keen eye for detail, he is extremely hands-on. His meticulous and in-depth approach to strategising is key to the excellent outcomes we enjoy."

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Ken Chia is a member of the Firm’s IP Tech, International Commercial & Trade and Competition Practice Groups. He is regularly ranked as a leading TMT and competition lawyer by top legal directories, including Chambers Asia Pacific and Legal 500 Asia Pacific. Ken is an IAPP Certified International Privacy Professional (FIP, CIPP(A), CIPT, CIPM) and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators.

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Sanil is a local principal in the Intellectual Property & Technology Practice Group in Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow. Sanil is qualified in both Singapore and Australia, and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/A) by the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Sanil is recognized as a Rising Star by both Legal 500 Asia Pacific in the Intellectual Property: Local Firms category as well as by IP Stars for his advisory work in the IP space. Sanil is also recommended by World Trademark Review 1000 for IP enforcement, litigation, prosecution and strategy.

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Daryl Seetoh is a local principal in the Intellectual Property & Technology (IPTech) Practice Group in Singapore. He is a qualified lawyer in Singapore, and is a fellow and certified member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (FIP, CIPP(A), CIPP/E, CIPM). Daryl has been recognised by Chambers Asia Pacific, Singapore as an "Associate to Watch" for Technology, Media, Telecoms (TMT): International work in 2025. Clients commended that "Daryl is an excellent attorney," and he is "very knowledgeable about data privacy laws throughout the Asia Pacific region, and is able to provide very good, consolidated advice." Daryl has previously worked at Baker McKenzie’s San Francisco office and has also been seconded to financial institution and technology multinational clients.

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Natalie is a local principal in the Intellectual Property & Technology (IPTech) practice group in Singapore. Fluent in both non-contentious and contentious matters across a range of industries, her practice focuses on corporate and commercial work; matters relating to the exploitation, management and enforcement of IP rights; data protection & cybersecurity issues; advertising, marketing & regulatory work; and civil & criminal IP disputes. For the first 2 years of her career, Natalie cut her teeth in dispute resolution under a Senior Counsel handling general commercial litigation and arbitration matters. She has acted as lead and assisting counsel in numerous trials and hearings before arbitral tribunals and all levels of the Singapore courts.