Summary of the Asia Tech x Singapore (ATxSG) Government to Government Roundtable on Online Safety

Summary of the Asia Tech x Singapore (ATxSG) Government-to-Government Roundtable on Online Safety by Chair and Minister for Communications and Information Mrs Josephine Teo, Friday, 31 May 2024

Sentosa, Singapore: Ministers and senior government officials from around the world met today at the ATxSummit for a closed-door Government-to-Government Roundtable discussion on Online Safety (“Roundtable”). Minister for Communications and Information and Second Minister for Home Affairs Mrs Josephine Teo, who Chaired the Roundtable, released the following Chair’s Summary:

“At the Government-to-Government Roundtable on 31 May, we discussed the topic of online safety, with a focus on children safety, and AI-generated misinformation and deepfakes. There was broad consensus that there is an urgent need to curb the threat of online harms, especially for vulnerable groups, and for regulations to keep pace with advances in technologies, such as generative AI. We had a constructive exchange of views on how governments and policymakers can foster a positive and inclusive online environment that promotes trust, respect, and meaningful participation for all users.”

On online safety, with a focus on children safety, the Roundtable participants reflected their concern that children, who are spending more time online for learning, entertainment and connecting with others, are particularly vulnerable when exposed to inappropriate content and social interaction online. While industry has taken active steps in recent years to combat online harms on social media, participants agreed that tech companies, civil society, and academia can and should do more to put in place additional protections for children or raise awareness of online harms that they might face. They also highlighted the importance of education and partnerships to equip citizens, especially children and their parents, with the knowledge and skills to use the Internet responsibly and manage potential online harms. Participants reiterated their commitment to international collaboration, especially with the increasingly borderless nature of online harms.

On AI-generated misinformation and deepfakes, the Roundtable participants shared that an online environment saturated with untrustworthy information can breed polarisation and erode trust in institutions. Participants emphasised the need to develop national and global governance frameworks to mitigate the misuse of AI in deepfakes and misinformation, while still allowing maximal space for innovation to take advantage of the opportunities which AI offers. They also shared the belief that developing technological safeguards and improving digital literacy among citizens can strengthen a country’s resilience to AI-generated misinformation and deepfakes. A coordinated approach that taps into the strength of all stakeholders is imperative to nimbly respond to these unprecedented harms in the information landscape.