Well, I don’t even had a phone back then..
“Singapore will soon require app stores to implement measures to protect children from inappropriate apps,” the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) announced on Wednesday (Jan 15).
The requirement comes under a new code called the Code of Practice for Online Safety for App Distribution Services, which will take effect from Mar 31. Under the code, designated app stores with significant reach or impact – Apple App Store, Google Play Store, Huawei App Gallery, Microsoft Store, and Samsung Galaxy Store – will have to put in place “system-level measures” to curtail the risk of exposure to harmful content for users, especially children.
According to the code, categories of harmful content include “Sexual content”, “Violent content”, “Suicide and self-harm content”, “Cyberbullying content”, “Content endangering public health”, and “Content facilitating vice and organised crime.”
“In a factsheet, IMDA said governments and regulators worldwide, including Australia, the European Union, the UK, and the US, are introducing measures to ensure online services are age-appropriate and tailored to children,” the article stated.
Age assurance measures, such as age estimation and age verification, are highlighted as key requirements. “Age estimation relies on systems or processes to establish the likely age or age range of a user. It may use artificial intelligence, machine learning technology, or facial age analysis algorithms,” as outlined by IMDA.
App stores will have the option to decide the appropriate age assurance measure for their services, either age estimation, age verification, or both.
“IMDA will engage designated (app stores) over the next few months on the implementation of age assurance,” said the authority. Moreover, if an app store is unable to implement the age assurance measures by Mar 31, they must set out an implementation plan including details of how it intends to comply with the requirements and a “reasonable” timeline for implementation, subject to agreement by IMDA.
The article also noted that app stores are expected to prevent children from accessing its highest age-rated apps, for example, those that are meant for users aged 18 and above.
“IMDA will continue to work closely with the industry on the age assurance requirements and implementation, taking into consideration industry and international practices and standards,” said the authority.
