Singapore’s Online Safety Commission (OSC) will officially open on June 29, 2026, to support victims of online harms under the recently passed Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act (OSRA) [1, 2, 3].
The OSC will initially focus on five serious categories of online harms: intimate image abuse, image-based child abuse, doxxing, online harassment, and online stalking [1, 2, 3]. The commission has legal authority to compel platforms and group administrators to remove harmful content swiftly, addressing past delays that stretched four days or more [1, 3]. Victims can file reports through the OSC’s website, either directly or via authorized representatives, using supporting evidence such as screenshots, images, videos, and URLs [1, 2, 3].
The OSC is staffed by 40 employees and plans to gradually expand to cover all 13 categories of online harms defined under OSRA [1, 2, 3]. To file a report, victims must be Singapore citizens, permanent residents, or have a prescribed connection to Singapore [2]. Victims may also seek compensation through civil proceedings enabled by the new legislation [1, 3].
Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo said, "We hope OSRA and OSC will help strengthen norms for positive and responsible online behaviour, so that all Singaporeans can participate safely and confidently in our digital society" [1]. Minister for Law Edwin Tong added, "By giving victims better avenues to seek relief and accountability, we can build a safer online space for Singaporeans" [1].
Francis Ng, Commissioner of Online Safety, said, "All of us know someone who has been personally affected by an online harm. The Online Safety Commission is going to attempt to change that. We will, at our core, have the interests of victims at heart" [2]. He further stated the OSC aims "not only to get harmful content removed swiftly, but to be a trusted commission worthy of public confidence – one that will meet victims where they are in their hurt and anxiety, and one that has their well-being as a foremost consideration" [3].
The OSC was created to address frustrations over slow platform responses to harmful content [1, 3]. It was first proposed in 2024 and formally established following the passage of OSRA in November 2025 [1, 2, 3].
The commission’s opening next week marks the start of its public operations to provide timely relief and restore victims’ dignity, safety, and hope [1, 2, 3].
