SINGAPORE: A recent survey by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) has listed HardwareZone as a significant platform where Singaporeans have encountered harmful content. The SPH Media-owned online forum is the only site on the list that is not a global social media giant.
The annual Online Safety Poll, conducted in April 2024, surveyed 2,098 Singapore residents aged 15 and above to understand their experiences with harmful online content and their actions in response to it. According to the survey, about three-quarters (74%) of respondents encountered harmful online content in 2024, a marked increase from 65% in 2023.
A significant finding of the survey is that two-thirds (66%) of respondents encountered harmful content on social media services designated by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) under the Code of Practice for Online Safety. This percentage is an increase from 57% in 2023.
In comparison, 28% of respondents reported encountering harmful content on other platforms, consistent with the previous year’s levels.
Among the respondents who encountered harmful content on designated social media services, close to 60% cited Facebook as the source, while 45% mentioned Instagram. HardwareZone was ranked sixth on the list of platforms with harmful content, with 6% of respondents reporting instances of encountering such content there.
The MDDI acknowledged that the higher prevalence of harmful content on these platforms could be partially attributed to their larger user bases. However, the ministry emphasized that this also underlines the greater responsibility these platforms have in ensuring user safety.
HardwareZone has a noted history as a prominent online community in Singapore. It was launched in August 1998 as an online magazine by five engineering students from the National University of Singapore. Initially a hub for computer enthusiasts to discuss hardware and software news, the site quickly gained popularity, attracting two million page views a month by 2000.
The founders had ambitious plans to turn HardwareZone into a full-fledged portal and even considered an initial public offering (IPO), which would have made them the first undergraduates in Singapore to launch one.
However, in 2006, HardwareZone was acquired by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) for S$7.1 million. The acquisition included all the magazine titles published by HardwareZone, such as HardwareMAG (HWM), GameAxis (a computer games magazine), and PHOTOVIDEOi (a digital photography magazine).
Today, HardwareZone is operated by Hardware Zone Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of SPH Media, and remains a popular online forum in Singapore. As the MDDI continues to monitor and regulate online content, platforms like HardwareZone and major social media sites could face increasing pressure to enhance their safety measures.
TISG/