Websites ask MDA to withdraw new rules

SINGAPORE — More than 20 individuals from various local websites have called on the Ministry of Communications and Information to withdraw the new licensing regime, and for Members of Parliament to oppose the new rules.

“It is in the interest of Singaporeans and the long-term future for Singapore that the licensing regime be withdrawn,” they said in a joint statement.

The statement, issued today (May 30), was signed by 23 people from websites that “provide sociopolitical news and analysis to Singaporeans”, including The Online Citizen, TR Emeritus and publichouse.sg.

The statement raised concerns that the new regime would impact “Singaporeans’ ability to receive diverse news information”.

“While the S$50,000 performance bond is a drop in the ocean for a mainstream news outlet with an online presence, it would potentially be beyond the means of volunteer run and personal blogging platforms like ours,” they wrote.

“Hence, MDA’s claim that the licensing regime is intended to equalise the playing field between online and offline news is incorrect: the regulations will disproportionately affect us.”

On Tuesday, the Media Development Authority announced that from Saturday, websites which have “significant reach” — defined as having 50,000 unique visitors from Singapore each month over a period of two months — and publish an average of at least one article a week on “Singapore’s news and current affairs” over the same period would come under a new licensing regime.

Under the new regime, operators of these websites have to comply within 24 hours to remove content found to be in breach of standards. These sites are also required to put up a “performance bond” of S$50,000.

Adding that the new regulations “should not be introduced without the most rigorous public debate and discussion”, the statement said that “the introduction of the licensing regime has not gone through the proper and necessary consultation and had been introduced without clear guidance”.

“The new regulations, and the manner in which they have been imposed by regulatory fiat, are unacceptable in any developed democracy,” said the statement.