SINGAPORE: The Online Safety Commission (OSC) has ordered the removal of a TikTok post that falsely claimed a fitness instructor was involved in former Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim’s resignation.
The OSC, which began operations on June 29, is a one-stop agency to help victims of online harms secure swift content takedowns and restrict offender accounts.
A complaint against the TikTok post and other related content was lodged on July 28, an OSC spokesperson said in response to queries.
"Following assessment of the report and determination that online harmful activity had taken place, the OSC took action in relation to the post, which was no longer available as of the evening of July 28," the spokesperson said.
"The OSC is currently looking into other content identified in the report and will take the appropriate action where necessary."
The OSC did not identify the complainant.
The commission has been contacted for more information on the nature of the TikTok post and the other content under investigation.
Separately, the fitness instructor, Rasidah Caudal, rejected claims that she was the woman involved in Faishal’s resignation.
In an Instagram post on July 27, Caudal said her only contact with Faishal was during two fitness events held at Kampong Ubi Community Centre.
The post included a screenshot of a Telegram message from an unknown person who used her photograph and claimed she had caused Faishal to resign.
In a Facebook post on the same day, Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Zaqy Mohamad said a woman had been wrongly identified as the person involved in Faishal’s case and had been subjected to false accusations and abusive comments.
He said no innocent person should have to endure such harassment because of unfounded speculation.
Zaqy assumed the role of acting minister on July 20 after Faishal resigned from politics over inappropriate interactions with an unidentified woman.
"Many of us are still trying to come to terms with the hurt and disappointment of recent events. But even then, we should not cause the same pain to others," Zaqy said.
Around 200 cases of online harm have been reported to the 40-member OSC since it began operations in June.
These include two children whose phone numbers and photographs were posted online, as well as an individual whose intimate recording was uploaded to a pornographic website without consent.
The OSC is currently focused on tackling five of the most prevalent and serious forms of online harm: intimate image abuse, image-based child abuse, doxing, online harassment and online stalking.
Eight other forms of online harm, including online impersonation and deepfake abuse, will be addressed at a later stage.
Victims can submit reports directly through the OSC website with their identity information, a description of the incident, details of those involved, including usernames or account information, and supporting evidence such as screenshots.
Reports may also be submitted on behalf of victims. Parents and guardians must provide proof of their relationship, while other representatives must submit a signed authorisation form and the victim’s identification document.
If the OSC determines that online harm has occurred, it can issue directions to perpetrators, administrators of online groups or pages, or the platform concerned. These directions may require the removal of content or the restriction of an offender’s account.
Platforms including Facebook, HardwareZone Forums, Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube may also be directed to disable access to identical copies of the offending material.
Victims will be kept informed of the progress of their cases and any directions issued. The police and selected social service agencies have also been briefed to refer victims to the OSC where appropriate. - ST/ANN
