Yahoo! breaks its silence on MDA licensing scheme

Yahoo! breaks its silence on MDA licensing scheme

    By S Ramesh
    POSTED: 05 Jun 2013 7:32 PM

Yahoo! has broken its silence on the new licensing rules for online news sites in Singapore, which kicked in on June 1. The response came in a posting on its webpage by Alan Soon, Yahoo!'s country manager for Singapore and managing editor for Southeast Asia.

SINGAPORE: Yahoo! has broken its silence on the new licensing rules for online news sites in Singapore, which kicked in on June 1.

The response came in a posting on its webpage by Alan Soon, Yahoo!'s country manager for Singapore and managing editor for Southeast Asia.

Yahoo! noted that prior to the new licensing framework it was already bound to comply with the Media Development Authority's Internet Code of Practice.

Mr Soon said this key guideline complements Yahoo!'s own internal editorial policies around what is suitable for its readers, and that further regulation is redundant.

Yahoo! noted that the new framework has caused confusion and unsettled both users as well as the media industry.

However, Yahoo! also said the new licensing rules will help pave the way for full accreditation and access for its reporters.

It believed this will help strengthen its editorial reporting.

Yahoo! said as a network, it serves one million unique users in Singapore each day.

Unlike reporters from mainstream media, Yahoo! reporters are not accredited with the Ministry of Communications and Information, and are not given access to government media conferences.

Under the new rules announced on May 28 and which came into effect on June 1, local news sites with a significant reach will require individual licensing.

10 news sites were placed on this list, including Yahoo! Singapore.

These new sites need to put up a performance bond of S$50,000, and will need to comply with any take-down notice from authorities within 24 hours.

- CNA/xq


- wong chee tat :)