Singapore Criminalizes Cyber Bullying and Stalking

The users of internet in Singapore have a modern weapon permitted by law to overcome the “trolls” of the Internet after the congress recently authorized the anti-harassment law.

The present law has anti-social acts which covers cyber harassment, bullying of children, sexual harassment in the workplace, and stalking which is considered against the law. When a person found guilty of illegal stalking, the person will have a fine of S$5,000 ($3922.00) or a jail term of at least twelve months. Recurrent lawbreaker of such offence may get a fine of up to S$10,000 or a jail term of at least two years.

In Singapore, harassment is already considered a crime under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act but cyber harassment is not evidently explained. Consequently, many gladly received the movement of the anti-harassment law because it would create more protection to ordinary residents such as young people who are Internet user. Aside from that, the law extended security to public laborers like healthcare workers and railway personnel.

Legal specialist explained that the recent law gives cyber bullying victims the choice to benefit civil treatment. Victims may seek for Protection Orders demanding harassers to stop from causing further damage to victims. The Protection Order also orders the harassers to remove the distressing material which caused cyber harassment.

The law must be strictly applied to end the cyber bullying activities, trolls, and illegal stalkers. It must not be used to harass government analysts and active speaker for social and policy issues of the country.

M. Palatino