Singapore weighs daily social media limits for teens, age-18 cutoff
What's next: legislation is due in early 2027, and platforms that refuse tougher safeguards could be barred for users under 18.
Singapore is preparing legislation that would require social media platforms to add stronger protections for teen users, including possible daily time limits and tighter controls on features that keep them online. Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo said the government is also considering raising the minimum age of access to 18 for platforms that do not adopt the safeguards. Measures under discussion include limits on autoplay, infinite scroll and direct messages from strangers, with enforcement tied to age checks. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong flagged the policy shift at the National Day Rally. The government says the move responds to concerns about youth mental health, citing an expert panel's finding that one in three users ages 15 to 17 spend more than three hours a day on social media and one in six users ages 10 to 24 show signs of problematic use.