On 15 June 2009, a complaint letter was written to TODAYonline alleging that certain comments on The Online Citizen violated the Penal Code. The letter also implored the Media Development Authority to “look into the conduct of TOC’s moderators”.
We reproduce MDA’s reply below:
WE THANK Mr Lionel De Souza for his feedback on TODAYonline (“Website moderators failed to exercise moderation”, June 15) regarding the posts on The Online Citizen, pertaining to the article “Perdition and Sedition”.
The Media Development Authority (MDA) places a high premium on safeguarding against harmful and undesirable online content that could disrupt our religious harmony. At the same time, given the global and borderless nature of the Internet, we recognise that there are practical limitations to what legislation can do to regulate the Internet.
MDA has therefore adopted a pragmatic approach that emphasises industry self-regulation and public education in addition to a light-touch regulatory framework via the Class Licence Scheme.
Under this approach, Internet content providers and service providers are required to exercise their own judgment and discretion to ensure that their content and services comply with the Class Licence conditions and the Internet Code of Practice. Please refer to www.mda.gov.sg for details.
If the content breaches the Code, the content provider will be warned and given a chance to remove the content, and should the content provider fail to do so, MDA will not hesitate to take more serious action against the content provider.
Community self-regulation and public education are critical prongs in our strategy to ensure responsible use of media on the online platform. Hence, we encourage Internet users to make known their concerns to website administrators directly, should they come across objectionable content on their websites.
Yuvarani Thangavelu
Deputy Director (Licensing Policy)
Development Policy Media Development Authority
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Looks like MDA not siding poor Lionel.
So no action taken, shut up and sit down.
MDA….u can’t handle the truth
but this is how the internet works. It happening everywhere. In fact TOC shouldnt be reprimanded like that because it attracts more discerning readers than say the visitors on youtube. Just because one or two monkeys post irresponsibly doesnt mean that everyone is like that. Learn to ignore those comments. The best method is not to even reply to those seditious comments. Im mean if you go on youtube you can get very racist comments against indians and nothing is being done about that. I would really like MDA to do something about that but i know there’s nothing they can do because of the nature of the internet.
Punishment, censorship? what is our govt afraid of? The more they are frightened by us means we are telling the truth.
#2..u r too kind…i would have asked him to shut up and get lost!
To 6) blackfeline on June 24th, 2009 11.06 am
He is an old man loh, so give him face lah, if he do it again, than tekan lah.
Let’s look at this positively. MDA understands how the Internet works..and Lionel De Souza will now also need to understand how it works.
I think TOC has written to Lionel before, i suggest TOC does it again, with this response as a background, and ask him to embrace the Internet. Rather than complain, be part of the process. If Lionel feels there are comments that can be inflammatory, ask him to write to TOC and alert us.
Let’s all collaborate and work together, rather than be antagonistic to each other.
Change, we can.
TOC readers should continue to self moderate when commenting here. This will help the moderators here in their work.
So far I think majority of readers here are articulate and matured.
When commenting, it is good to ask if what we are posting is encouraging, positive and logical. This way, we will save ourselves alot of trouble.
This time round MDA is on our side but the next time we may not be so lucky.
QUOTE: “”Hence, we encourage Internet users to make known their concerns to website administrators directly, should they come across objectionable content on their websites.”"
Thanks, MDA.
Well said.
“MDA has therefore adopted a pragmatic approach that emphasises industry self-regulation and public education in addition to a light-touch regulatory framework via the Class Licence Scheme.”
Glad that MDA has come to its senses. Public resources should be rightly employed in tackling genuine crime and not to be used selectively just to protect a certain line of opinion / persuasion.
One must of course note that it is not MDA’s ‘magnanimity’ that is the cause of this approach but the fact that it is impossible to legislate such an entity as the internet – local or otherwise.
I see MDA’s response akin to a king telling his people that “I have decided to leave the mountain where it is as it does not harm us” when in fact there is no way that he can do anything about it in the first place – he may be king but the mountain is (naturally) more powerful.
Food for thought…
This is the appetizer before the main course. Of course the ultimate motive is to inflict more control mechanism onto the online media, such as TOC. They too know that more people depends on online blogs and news for Information, and if TOC keeps hammering government as it grows in influence, more people will be unhappy with the government.
Sooner or later, MDA will come out with another scheme, or framework, or Act, or Law etc, to control and threaten the online media into regulating themself. All comments will have to be reviewed before posting online. Comments that deem offensive to the government will be deleted. No more free posting.
MDA job is to develop Singapore Media Industries or Media Crop to the likes of Korea or Taiwan whereby it generate Billions of Revenue for Singapore!
But it seems they fail but it just a Regulation Authority and why don’t be like China!
Install Filters in all PCs shipped from Dell, HP, etc etc!
To Lionel De Souza,
First, I would like to welcome you to the Cyberspace Age, which is a new revelation-cum-revolution that is here to stay.
Will you kindly, next time round, inform or complain directly to TOC if you were to find any comments on this site (or inform/complain to the owner of any other websites) that you deem inappropriate in your personal perspective, opinion or judgment?
It would be better for our society if people like your esteemed self can help to actively give feedback directly and immediately where it concerns. In this way, it would also be more effective and efficient because the matter can be addressed and measures taken without delay, if your complaints were valid.
Writing to the newspapers and demanding government authorities to take action, when the very action could be done more efficiently and effectively by your good self at the point in time, would not only cause a delay in the action being taken but might also arouse the sentiments of some other netizens (and readers) to take a negative view on your would-be genuine concern, will it not?
As matured Singaporeans, wouldn’t we do our very best to try to educate the younger generations in a more non-dictatorial and non-parent-to-child fashion of transactional relationship? I believe, in the long run, such an approach would bear better fruit. Don’t you agree?
Looking forward to your full co-operation in cyberspace.
Thank you very much.
From: A Fellow Singaporean.
24 June 2009.
aiyoyo
very luan leh.
on one hand promote IT, on the other want to control internet?
blur leh.
aiyoyo
Sadoh,
That’s fearmongering. :)
To be honest, being not a LDS supporter nor TOC supporter, I feel that, upon analysis, LDS’s accusations does not hold water.
He has already been debunked countless times by readers and the net.
A consolation prize for LDS is that he has received free public education on this aspect.
LDS, injoy TOC. Have a blast.
Folks, lets look at things from a clear perspective.
There is no need to spend so much attention on poor LDS whose views is merely a private personal view and for all we know, he may be the ONLY guy in singapore to hold that view of his.
In short, lets not waste time on him and his little 1-man tiny view. He is not even able to respond to any rebutals here. Is that not convincing reason enough to show he is not ready to accept a 2-Way communication channel?
Lionel, you are just lucky that MSM publish your article, for whatever it is worth.
I think this reply by MDA is quite illuminating to the whole approach of “light-touch” that has been adopted some time ago. When Lee Boon Yang announced this strategy, many netizens were questioning what it means exactly. At that time, it does resemble the OB markers: invisible and seemingly arbitrary.
Of course, this one reply does not define the light-touch in detail, but it exemplifies the strategy MDA takes to deal with online issues.
On the other hand, quite a portion of the responsibility is placed on the shoulders of the moderators. Different people have different tolerance for what is potentially offensive and seditious, so there may be quite a lot of feedbacks from people who are more easily concerned with such comments like Mr De Souza. And since there is no a priori reason to disregard their views, I think, as TOC grows, the moderators may find their inboxes filling up more rapidly than before.
I hope and trust that someone in IPS is taking note of this issue.
Maybe can IPS hold another round of workshop for bloggers to attend and discuss about such issues since MDA respond like that?
I recommend TOC to assist IPS in Media regulation thingies. They got so much info.
MDA wrote:
1. Community self-regulation and public education are critical prongs in our strategy to ensure responsible use of media on the online platform.
2. We encourage Internet users to make known their concerns to website administrators directly, should they come across objectionable content on their websites.
TOC wrote on its 18 June 2009 Reply:
1. Mr De Souza has chosen to bypass a far more effective solution to the problems he is alleging: community moderation.
2. If Mr De Souza had raised his concerns directly to TOC, we would be happy to consider removing them if they were indeed a potential violation of the law … Unfortunately, Mr De Souza sent us no such notification or email.
At least the positive outcome of Lionel De Souza’s complaint outcome is that we now has a positive example of MDA’s light touch regulation, compared to the previous cases of negative examples, such as charging bloggers for Sedition for posting racist comments. There are always two sides of the same coin.
my moto in believing is this…… THE TRUTH WILL ALWAYS PREVAIL…..
While singaporeans are net savvy based on number of citizens who regularly go online, this should not be mistaken that singaporeans are not Apathetic on social – political issues.
When this is the case, even if there are good quality social – political sites, these types of 1st world singaporeans , by definition (apathy) , WILL NOT or DO NOT bother to visit these sites.
Thus, I believe the issue of moderation is not as great as some may perceive.
Singaporeans majoritily do not bother if not shun social – political issues BY Choice, consciously. They are unique in this world.
Lionel should start a protest at Hong Lim Park
Govmin to Lionel:
Shut up and sit down.
Lionel to Govmin:
I tot I was carrying balls.
Is time things had change. So let’s move on from here and hope MDA should not involved too much as we know what is right and what is wrong.
#24) ErniesUrn on June 24th, 2009 2.56 pm
I’m sure at least 3 “people” will attend the protest… 1) The auntie who sweeps the area 2) The uncle who sleeps at the benches there 3) The street cat ambling in the area….
“Lionel should start a protest at Hong Lim Park”
“I’m sure at least 3 “people” will attend the protest… 1) The auntie who sweeps the area 2) The uncle who sleeps at the benches there 3) The street cat ambling in the area….”
Oh… how can you miss the majority of supporters that are so shy ? How can you miss the numerous rat and mouse scurrying in Hong Lim Park, willing to lend support to Lionel ?
Still, don’t underestimate Lionel because he will guarantee to have some supporters in his protest. His very die-hard supporters: his wife, his son/daughters and maybe his maid too.
Lionel De Souza start to believe that he is somebody having won numerous award but in fact he is just nobody, Just Like many gahmen who start believing his own myths.
Lionel to Govmin: I will carry some heavier balls for you;;;;;Govmin to Lionel: Shut your silly gap you old fool; we got better ball-carriers, we don’t need you.
“I tot I was carrying balls.”
when more and more people know how to carry balls because they see a value in doing so, the novelty will gradually be lost and the value for knowing how to do it will also gradually begin to drop.
Sorly, i no sure what u meanting by caryyinf balls.
#31–Ball Index ///// when more and more people know how to carry balls because they see a value in doing so, the novelty will gradually be lost///// ;;;;;;;; I am afraid where Lionel is concerned the novelty will never be lost, because each day Lionel wakes up in the morning, the first thought that comes in his nitwit brain is ” how am I going to fine-tune my balls-carrying huh?”
Lionel old boy;;;The weather is real nice and cool tonight huh;; Don’t you lose your cool and start throwing the furniture around huh.
mda approach has been pragmatic, at least for this case.
the undertone in the reply sounds like “if u no shiok what u see in the internet, just let the website admin know, dun anyhow just tell us what we should do”. but the strange thing is that mda did not say it directly that they find the content to be acceptable else they will take action against TOC.
anyway, lets just understand it this way. an ex-civil servant voiced his “concerns” publicly (unfortunately in the wrong forum). civil servants are trained to highlight problem up the “chain of command”, esp so when they are uniformed personnel. LDS has no command channel on top of him, so he took his “initiative” to inform the Superior Command i.e. the MDA.
lets be magnanimous, give him one mark for his civic-mindedness (by his own standard), can? as for initiative, 9 marks will be deducted. 1/10 is still not bad.
not too sure if in future we will still hear from him in the msm now that the superior command asked him to go direct to websites admin.
Why don’t we move on – and leave the likes of LDS to simmer in their own curry? Some people will never see the light, and we should not waste time trying to convert them. We should, with the help of TOC, stir up worthy debate on issues of the day, and in the process, perk up the interest of the young and less politically-aware Singaporeans. This is not to say that folks like LDS should not be debunked for their fallacious line of thought — but to continue belittling him will only result in giving him a higher value than he deserves.
Lionel De Souza has always been a nice watchdog his entire life.
Retire liao still so angsty.When will he grow up? :D
#6) blackfeline
#2..u r too kind…i would have asked him to shut up and get lost!
………………………………………………………………
We should encourage more people to TOC and get a bigger audience even if they have different views. If we don’t want the PAP and the media to brainwash the people, we should not have a closed mind.
Small nugget for you guys out there,
He also write in letters to The Catholic News complaining of this and that!
If Lionel De Souza does not trust TOC Moderators, he will not deem community moderation regardless of its extent. In another words, he most probably believe that if he posted his complaint in a TOC commentary thread, the moderators will remove his comment. Btw I have heard about Lionel De Souza writing in to The Catholic News requesting the Roman Catholic Church of Singapore to return to the old practises of singing latin hymes at Mass. LOL.
Bowing down and kowtowing to MDA is no way to improve the status of censorship in Singapore. Have courage, what’s the worst than can happen to you?
Lionel has done a useful service to all moderators.
He has extracted a reply from MDA which would not
be forthcoming if the moderators had asked for it
themselves!
Thanks a million, Lionel!
@41) smallvice585 on June 24th, 2009 11.51 pm
Let leave religion out of this forum, shall we. Anyone that think he/she can reverse Vatican II would really have some very serious mental problems.
My fellow readers
Do you guys know who this Lionel De Souza is ?
He’s the retired cop who is staunchly pro-PAP.
Need i say more ?
One more thing — the word boot licker comes to mind
“34) budamax1952 on June 24th, 2009 8.00 pm
how am I going to fine-tune my balls-carrying huh?”
let me digress a little bit. when someone places too much value (in believing that balls should be carried with loving tender care) in places where there are none, bubble balls will grow so big that it will implode with a bang when the time is ripe – just like the recent financial crisis has shown.
This is exactly the type of attitude a mature society should avoid. Lionel attitude is no different from the NEW EXCO in the AWARE saga. When he saw something that he do not agree with, instead with engaging in communications with the involved parties, he suggested that the government should just go in and forced changes and compliance to suit his standards.
Just like North Korea, when they are not happy with you, they will point to their nuclear weapon to warn you and use fear to control you.
Lionel has only proved to the public that he is only out to please his employer and he is disengaged from the people and do not know or represent the public at all. He has shot himself in the foot and if in the next election he dare to stand for election and not hide behind anyone, he will have his due respond from the constituency that he is MPing.
To 48) Joel Low on June 25th, 2009 10.57 am
He is too old to stand for election under PAPies banner, this PAPies wants young & talented candidates, so he is not qualified.
#47Ball Index;;;;I see what you are getting at and i must add i do agree with you. This phenomena of ‘balls-carrying’ is quite prevalent in Singapore, especially when people get involved with the PAPies. These people(of course Lionel being a premier ace among them) surely must get some sort of kick out of it. But personally what i believe is that balls-carriers are hypocrites who deserve a different kind of kick–a kick in the groin area with some exploding balls will serve them right.