Singapore's new Online Safety Commission (OSC) rolls out to combat cyberbullying, deepfakes, and online harms. But will this law protect victims, or will trolls simply hide in darker corners?

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.

Imagine discovering that your face and voice have been hijacked, manipulated into a deepfake, and broadcast across the internet. It is a chilling violation of privacy, and it proves a terrifying point: no one is immune to online harms.

As digital abuse, cyberbullying, and image-based violence become increasingly normalised, the rules of engagement are also shifting. Enter the Online Safety Commission (OSC) that Singapore is officially rolling out in June 2026.

This new regulatory watchdog is designed to force tech giants to take down harmful content and give victims some respite from the harassment and bullying. But will this new law actually have the teeth to protect us? Or will trolls quickly invent new ways to circumvent it?

In this episode of In Your Opinion, assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong sits down with legal expert and founder of SG Her Empowerment (SHE) Stefanie Yuen Thio. Yuen Thio shares her personal ordeal as a deepfake victim and uncovers the severe realities of digital abuse facing youths in Singapore today – including the alarming normalisation of teenagers selling intimate photos for $50.

Highlights (click/tap above):

3:14 Her personal experience surviving a deepfake attack

7:43 How "trusted flaggers" like SHE get harmful content taken down faster than standard reporting

9:57 What the new Online Safety Commission (OSC) actually means for victims of cyberbullying

24:36 The disturbing reality of youths commodifying their bodies and selling intimate photos for $50

27:22 Beyond the law: The urgent need for age assurance technology and bystander intervention

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v

Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong

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Are Singaporeans too rigid to be funny? How to take ourselves less seriously to overcome stress.

Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a head start in your personal finance, career and life with The Straits Times.

In this episode, theatrical clown and actor Shanice Stanislaus shares with host See Kai Wen about how thinking and acting like a clown can help navigate high-pressure environments.

The “Clown Mentality” includes having the audacity to dream and try, never afraid of failing and finding ways to add whimsy into your life. We all have a little clown in our pockets.

Shanice also speaks about her journey as one of the only few professional clowns in Singapore, her award-winning clown shows, and how she helps Singaporeans find their “funny” in her workshops.

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:00 What is clowning?

02:58 Are Singaporeans too uptight to be funny?

07:11 Why we need to learn how to fail

10:51 Comedy is truth and pain wrapped nicely

15:33 Using humour to break the ice in work situations

21:55 How to find your inner clown and humour

25:47 Adopting a “Clown Mentality”

27:51 Shanice’s experience performing as a clown overseas

Follow See Kai Wen on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/qfwqQ

Host: See Kai Wen (seekw@sph.com.sg)

Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producers: Elizabeth Law and Joanna Seow

Follow Headstart On Record Podcast channel here:

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Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wuN3

Spotify: https://str.sg/wBr9

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter: https://str.sg/headstart-nl

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Do note: All analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast are for your general information only. You should not rely on them in making any decision. Please consult a fully qualified financial adviser or professional expert for independent advice and verification. To the fullest extent permitted by law, SPH Media shall not be liable for any loss arising from the use of or reliance on any analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast. SPH Media accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever that may result or arise from the products, services or information of any third parties.

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Can Trump and Xi’s new ‘constructive’ framework bring stability to the US-China dynamic?

Synopsis: The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests.

In this episode, host Ravi Velloor speaks with Wang Xiangwei, the eminent Hongkong-based China scholar and former editor-in-chief of South China Morning Post.

Wang, who is soon heading to the Harvard Kennedy School of Government as a Senior Visiting Fellow, offers a Chinese perspective on the changing dynamics of the US-China relationship, with Beijing now treated as a near-peer by Washington, and increasingly able to set the agenda.

US President Donald Trump, he says, is the most China-friendly person in his Cabinet and the days when even Chinese garlic was treated as a national security risk are long over.

In an odd way, China does not wish to see the US retrench from Asia entirely.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:26 How things have changed in US-China ties

5:20 ‘G-2’ is in place now, and China a peer equal

8:55 Goodbye, Indo-Pacific

13:20 Up ahead, long period of stability

16:17 For the first time, China sets the agenda

20:36 Boards of trade, investment

26:22 Surprise, Surprise…China wants US to stay in Asia!

Read Ravi's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP

Follow Ravi on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor

Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz

Host: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani

Executive producer: Ernest Luis

Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here:

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