Singapore finds 65 apps with harmful content — Channel NewsAsia
Singapore’s regulator, the Infocomm Media Development Authority, found 65 apps with harmful content and 24 apps with incorrect age ratings while reviewing more than 7,000 apps across five stores. The apps were checked in the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, Huawei AppGallery, Microsoft Store and Samsung Galaxy Store. As Channel NewsAsia reports, the apps were identified between April and December 2025, after which they were removed or had their age ratings changed.
What content was found
Of the 65 removed apps, 59 contained sexual content, four contained scenes of violence, and another two contained content facilitating activities related to social vices and organised crime. The most common types of harmful and objectionable content were sexual and violent content, as well as materials facilitating such activities.
The regulator cited examples of apps removed for violating store rules. They included a service with a feature that could turn uploaded photos of people into explicit sexualised images, a game with excessively violent scenes, including killings, and a gambling app offering payouts in cryptocurrency or real money.
Of the 24 apps with incorrect age ratings, 14 contained sexual content, three contained violent content, and seven contained materials related to social vices and organised crime. These apps included chatbots with sexualised prompts, games about adults’ sexual experiences, a game involving weapons in a school setting, and a role-playing game with criminal and drug-related plots.
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Review of age restrictions
IMDA also assessed the age-verification methods used by app stores. These included age determination through bank card verification and behavioural signals, including search and viewing history; age estimation through facial scanning; and verification using official documents, including through Singpass. The regulator tested the mechanisms using test accounts on different devices.
IMDA concluded that the mechanisms used by the stores were generally not easy to bypass, and children were mostly restricted by default from downloading apps rated 18+. However, Huawei AppGallery and Microsoft Store had several cases where restrictions were absent or could be disabled due to gaps in the system. Most of these issues were resolved after the regulator raised them.
Google Play Store and Samsung Galaxy Store also did not notify users who had downloaded an app within six months before its removal about the outcome of their complaints. Both platforms agreed to improve their notification procedures. IMDA said it would monitor the implementation of the changes and, if necessary, consider further regulatory measures under the Broadcasting Act.
