Censorship

Principles of Censorship in Singapore

Administration of censorship in Singapore has

been performed in a typically methodical manner

with guidelines developed through experience.[8]

First, materials going into the home are more

heavily censored than those going into the corporate

world. The Singapore authorities have drawn a

distinction between information for business uses,

which should be as free flowing as possible, and

information for non-business uses. Information for

the home is seen to be of a less critical nature so

censorship of such information is regarded to have

not as deleterious an effect.

Second, materials for the young are more heavily

censored than those for adults. This is an admittedly

paternalistic principle of protecting the weaker

members of society from the possible harm of the

materials in question.

Third, materials for public consumption are more

heavily censored than those for private consumption.

This is a corollary of the second principle as it is

assumed that the public includes those who are

"weaker." Also, regardless of the level of censorship

those who are determined can always get their hands

on them. Hence private consumption can only be

policed to a limited extent. Further, it is more

efficient to police public instead of private

consumption. It should be noted that private

consumption of censorship materials is still policed

in that those found in private possession of censored

materials can be convicted in court.

Finally, materials deemed to have artistic and

educational merit are less heavily censored. This is a

recently articulated principle and has been applied to

movies, which now have an R(A) or Restricted

(Artistic) rating.

In sum, censorship in Singapore has an element

of differentiation:

...