Singapore: Obligations under code of practice for online safety for app distribution services, including age assurance measures enter into force

On 1 April 2026, the obligations under the code of practice for online safety for application (app) distribution services, including age assurance measures, enter into force. The code requires service providers to implement content guidelines and moderation measures covering six categories of harmful content, including sexual content, violent content, and cyberbullying, with pre-release app reviews and enforcement powers against non-compliant app providers. Providers must proactively detect and remove child sexual exploitation and terrorism content, and are required to introduce child-specific protections, including age assurance mechanisms, restrictive default account settings, and parental controls. It also requires that an accessible user reporting mechanism be in place, with expedited handling for the most serious content categories and notification obligations for affected users. Providers must also submit annual online safety reports to the Infocomm Media Development Authority, detailing the effectiveness of their safety measures and actions taken in response to user reports.