Global firms request two changes to licensing regulation
FIVE major Internet and technology companies have expressed concern over new government licensing rules for online news sites, calling them "unwarranted and excessive".
They also warned that the new licensing framework could affect Singapore's business-friendly image and hamper innovation.
The companies - Facebook, Google, eBay, Yahoo and cloud computing corporation Salesforce - also urged the Government to ease up on the rules, which look set to spark a lively debate in Parliament next Monday.
The five are members of the Asia Internet Coalition (AIC), an industry association they had formed to represent their interests in Internet policy issues in the region.
Earlier this year, the five were among hundreds of companies, groups and individuals that objected to government legislation in the United States.
They said its Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act, which aimed to address copyright infringement, would clamp down on free speech, innovation and the development of the Internet.
In Singapore, the new licensing regime affects only one of them: Yahoo. Its website Yahoo Singapore is among 10 sites that must have an individual licence.
Under the new framework, which kicked in on June 1, an individual licence is a must for websites with more than 50,000 Singapore visitors a month and which carry more than one news story about Singapore a week.
The licence entails putting up a $50,000 performance bond. Also, if or when told by the Government to take down prohibited content, the websites must comply in 24 hours.
Said the AIC: "This new regulation - and the regulatory trend that this may be indicative of - could unintentionally hamper Singapore's ability to continue to drive innovation, develop key industries in the technology space and attract investment in this key sector.
"We also believe the scope of the regulation and manner in which it was introduced have negatively impacted Singapore's global image as an open and business-friendly country."
The AIC made two requests.
One is for the regulation to include a statement that the websites will not be liable for content posted by users. To proactively police content is an "untenable position", the AIC said, noting that online platforms have "incentives" to address misuse of their services.
The second is for websites to be given a "reasonable timeframe" to comply, instead of up to 24 hours. The AIC said 24 hours was particularly difficult for international companies, which have to negotiate across time zones.
It also took issue with the $50,000 bond, saying it would be a "financial risk" to start-ups.
"It sends a very strong wrong message to the Internet community in and beyond Singapore that these changes could presage a more restrictive attitude to the Internet.
"It could also set a precedent for more restrictive regimes around the region," the AIC said in its three-page June 14 letter that was addressed to Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim.
The Ministry of Communications and Information said yesterday that it told the AIC that Singapore adopts a "light touch approach" in Internet regulations and the licensing framework has not changed this approach.
It reiterated that the new regulations are for greater parity for news providers on traditional and online media platforms. The content standards that sites have to adhere to have also "not resulted in the stifling of online discourse, nor have they prevented netizens from commenting on government policies".
On the 24-hour window requirement, the ministry said it is "important" in managing false news that may cause mass panic as information can spread quickly on the Internet.
As for the bond, it is to ensure websites remove prohibited content "quickly" and when directed to do so by the Government.
The ministry added that the Media Development Authority (MDA) met the AIC early last month to provide clarifications and invited it to take part in an upcoming public consultation on amendments to the Broadcasting Act next year.
The three firms providing the 10 licensed sites - Yahoo, Singapore Press Holdings and MediaCorp - have given their feedback on the new licensing framework, which the MDA is reviewing, said the ministry. "The engagement process with the licensees is ongoing," said a ministry spokesman yesterday.
twong@sph.com.sg
Background Story
NEGATIVE IMPACT
...the scope of the regulation and manner in which it was introduced have negatively impacted Singapore's global image as an open and business- friendly country.
- The Asia Internet Coalition
Source: Straits Times ? Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Permission required for reproduction.
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