Pro bono legal aid, helpline among planned initiatives to help victims of online harms

SINGAPORE – Victims of on the net harms can count on different providers focused to supporting them, such as totally free authorized aid and a helpline, to be accessible by the conclude of 2022.

On-line harms involve staying stalked almost and cyber bullied, and befriended by persons who use fake identities.

The approaching initiatives were discovered at an celebration organised by Sunlight AfA, also identified as the Singapore With each other Alliance for Action to tackle online harms, in particular those people qualified at women of all ages and girls, on Wednesday (July 27).

The cross-sector alliance, began by the Ministry of Communications and Facts (MCI) in July 2021, experienced a a person-year tenure that ended on Wednesday.

But some of its get the job done will continue on, these kinds of as an arrangement with the Regulation Modern society Pro Bono Providers to have about 100 volunteer lawyers provide professional bono aid through legal clinics to victims of on-line harms.

Details of the plan, these types of as how victims can signal up for the authorized clinics, are however in the operates, but it is anticipated to be operational by the conclude of this year.

Madam Hazlina Abdul Halim, who is president of non-revenue organisation Singapore Muslim Women’s Affiliation and a member of Daylight AfA, claimed the provider will be administered by charity SG Her Empowerment (She), which was established up in April by many users of Daylight AfA.

The charity will also do the job with the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations to present guidance expert services to victims, these as a committed helpline.

Other initiatives in the functions by the charity contain a handbook on on the net harms.

This will be utilised to aid schooling classes for She staff and certified counsellors in its associate organisations to assistance victims, mentioned Madam Hazlina.

The unveiling of these upcoming ideas follows MCI’s announcement in June on proposed laws to enrich on line protection for end users.

The new proposed regulations consist of requiring selected social media platforms to put into action neighborhood criteria and content material moderation procedures, so as to minimise users’ danger of publicity to detrimental online information. A general public session on them is ongoing.