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OnlyFans, Cryptocurrency and Academic Freedom

Singapore Internet Watch
Singapore Internet Watch
@SG_Internet
OnlyFans
Singapore has again made global headlines, this time for the charges it has brought against OnlyFans user Titus Low for sharing sexually explicit content through the OnlyFans platform.
This is the first reported instance of the authorities here bringing a case against an OnlyFans user, and raises an important question: should other users of the platform should fear a crackdown from the authorities?
To add to the confusion and ambiguity faced by users of the platform, Minister Josephine Teo has stated that OnlyFans will not be banned:
Not all content posted on OnlyFans is objectionable, but we must ensure that such content creation platforms do not expose Singaporeans to the risk of exploitation and abuse, especially our youth,“ Teo said in her written reply. "The government closely monitors developments in this regard and will take regulatory action where appropriate.”
From us at Singapore Internet Watch, numerous questions remain unanswered:
  • To what extent will the authorities be investigating and actively persecuting the consensual sharing of sexually explicit imagery? (especially content not shared through OnlyFans?)
  • How do the authorities decide what kinds of content are objectionable? Does sexual orientation play a role in the authorities’ decision-making?
Design Justice Network
A Singapore node of the Design Justice Network has launched, and is convening a book club every two weeks to discuss the book, Design Justice (available for free online here).
DJN Singapore
We'll be meeting to collectively read and discuss @schock's incredible book -- Design Justice -- every fortnight starting from next Tuesday (18th Jan)!! Links to the reading schedule and the online meeting room are here: https://t.co/iX7p7ZUjje

Join us, if you can!✨ https://t.co/aZupcEJ4tq
What is design justice? Here’s a short excerpt from the book’s blurb:
What is the relationship between design, power, and social justice? “Design justice” is an approach to design that is led by marginalized communities and that aims explicitly to challenge, rather than reproduce, structural inequalities. It has emerged from a growing community of designers in various fields who work closely with social movements and community-based organizations around the world.
Cryptocurrency
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is discouraging cryptocurrency services from advertising their services through social media influencers or in public places. The MAS has stated that trading in cryptocurrency “is highly risky and not suitable for the general public.”
This comes as the latest in regulatory steps the Singapore government has taken on cryptocurrency firms, which has already seen the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange (Binance) cancel its bid for a license to operate in Singapore.
Some recent commentary on this topic:
Academic Freedom in Singapore
In response to a parliamentary question, Singapore’s Second Minister of Education Maliki Osman sought to play down the findings generated by Academia.sg’s report on academic freedom.
The Minister argued that the survey on which the report was based only drew a 10% response rate. However, Academia.sg has previously noted in its report’s methodology section that this is a reasonable response rate, and that most surveys seek a subsection of a group to extrapolate the opinion of the whole population.
Separately, a book on the censorship of political cartoons remains banned in Singapore. In response to another parliamentary question, Minister Josephine Teo stated that the ban was because of religiously offensive imagery and not its political content.
An excerpt from the book’s blurb:
Red Lines studies thin-skinned tyrants, the invisible hand of market censorship, and demands in the name of social justice to rein in the right to offend. It includes interviews with more than sixty cartoonists and insights from art historians, legal scholars, and political scientists—all presented in graphic form. This engaging account makes it clear that cartoon censorship doesn’t just matter to cartoonists and their fans. When the red lines are misapplied, all citizens are potential victims.
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Singapore Internet Watch
Singapore Internet Watch @SG_Internet

Singapore Internet Watch is a student-run group focusing on internet research. Our key focus areas include censorship, media regulation, misinformation and freedom of information.

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