How Singapore Is Speeding Up Help for Victims of Online Harms

Singapore’s Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act 2025 (OSRAA) gives victims a route to seek action against harmful content through the Online Safety Commission (OSC). At a September 23, 2026, partner appreciation event, Law Minister Edwin Tong set out a further priority: faster platform responses and a reporting process that is easier for victims to use.143

What the commission can do

The OSC began operating on June 29, 2026. Its initial remit covers five harms: intimate image abuse, image-based child abuse, doxxing, online harassment and online stalking. It can direct parties, including platforms and online administrators, to take down harmful content or restrict perpetrator accounts.144122

Demand emerged quickly. The commission received more than 500 reports between its launch and August 31. Among eligible reports, doxxing accounted for 44% of reported harms and online harassment for 38%.44 Those figures show the scale of early reporting, but not whether the same harms are becoming less common.

Where victims should report first

The route depends on the harm. Victims of intimate image abuse, image-based child abuse or doxxing may report directly to the OSC through its website. For online harassment or online stalking, victims should first notify the platform hosting the content; they may escalate to the OSC if the platform does not respond promptly or its response is inadequate within 24 hours.23

A parent or guardian may report on behalf of a child or ward under 18, and victims may authorise someone else to file for them.53 Reports may require a description of what happened and supporting material, such as URLs or screenshots.26

Faster action, with less friction

The Government is working with designated online platforms to improve response speeds. Current response-time requirements are reported as ranging from six to 48 hours, while Tong’s September remarks point toward faster handling. Reporting also describes Ministry of Law notification forms that victims can download and a goal of simpler, dedicated reporting channels on platforms.3 Earlier reporting identified a practical burden: victims may have to complete separate forms for different remedies concerning the same content, or report the same material separately across platforms.38

These platform response windows should not be confused with the 24-hour platform-first escalation rule for harassment and stalking.323 The available reporting does not establish a reliable harm-by-harm breakdown of the six-, 24- and 48-hour requirements, a complete list of platforms subject to those particular requirements, or new replacement deadlines. Nor does it confirm specific changes for reports involving content that cannot be located or that circulates in closed messaging apps. Authorities are also looking at easier ways to serve court documents on people overseas, but the reported account does not specify a new procedure.21

Tong cautioned against judging the OSC solely by case volume or resolution speed. His longer-term test is whether lessons from reports help prevent repeat harms, so that fewer people ultimately need the commission’s help.12