REGULATION OF THE INTERACTIVE DIGITAL MEDIA INDUSTRY IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

The latest “buzz” in Singapore is interactive digital media (IDM), a diverse industry that includes technologies such as video games and interactive advertisements. In January this year, the Singapore government announced that it would target the IDM sector as one of the key growth areas for the future, and provide the infrastructure for Singapore to be educated in and exposed to this new technology.1 The Singapore government has openly committed to setting aside S$500 million over the next five years to develop this industry.2 And to deal with the social, technical, legal and regulatory implications of this industry, on 1 April 2007, the Singapore government also set up a high level advisory council which will make recommendations to the government on how these issues will be managed while keeping pace with the development of this industry in Singapore.3 While the Advisory Council on the Impact of New Media on Society4 studies and deliberates on the issues, the existing legal and regulatory framework that continues to apply to new media has been described as based on a “light touch” approach. This paper seeks to summarise the existing position in Singapore, and tries to describe the policies and philosophies behind the “light touch” approach as elucidated from the laws and regulations in Singapore.