SINGAPORE: Singapore said on Friday it would ban popular infidelity website AshleyMadison.com from operating in the tightly controlled city-state following concerns over the spread of adultery.
The curbs on the site, which has 22 million members in about 30 countries, illustrate a struggle in Singapore over how far to relax censorship laws.
It now bans Playboy magazine, clips racy scenes from movies and blocks dozens of websites in moves that have added to its image as Asia’s “nanny state.”
AshleyMadison.com, founded in Canada in 2001, began a Japanese service in June and a Hong Kong service last month. Its operators have announced plans to launch next year in Singapore, which has a population of 5.4 million.
“I do not welcome such a website in Singapore,” Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing wrote on his Facebook page.
“Promoting infidelity undermines trust and commitment between a husband and wife, which are core to marriage,” he said, adding that many Singaporeans shared his view.
AshleyMadison.com’s operators have said the site does not make people cheat but rather provides a platform for those who have already decided to have an affair.
The Southeast Asian city-state once banned women’s magazine Cosmopolitan and the television show “Sex and the City,” though a censored version of the hit HBO series was eventually allowed.
Responding to media queries, Singapore’s Media Development Authority indicated it would prevent Ashley Madison from offering its service in Singapore.
“Under the Broadcasting Act, MDA has the powers to act against Internet content providers which violate community standards and social norms, including issuing take-down notices or site-blocking,” a spokeswoman said.
Singapore says no to popular adultery website
Singapore says no to popular adultery website
Viral phenomenon in Argentina has young people identifying themselves as animals
- As the movement gains traction, psychologists are stepping in to analyze the phenomenon and its place in public discourse
BUENOS AIRES: On a recent Sunday, a Buenos Aires plaza transformed into a makeshift wilderness for an unusual group of teenagers.
Sofía, wearing a lifelike beagle mask, ran across the grass on all fours. Nearby, 15-year-old Aguara leapt through the air, clearing an obstacle course while imitating the precise movements of a Belgian breed dog. Others dressed as cats and foxes perched in the branches of trees, keeping their distance from curious onlookers.
It was the latest gathering of “therians,” individuals who say they identify mentally, spiritually or psychologically with non-human animals. The trend has taken over Argentine social media over the past few months, gaining traction on platforms like TikTok, where the hashtag #therian has surpassed 2 million posts, with Argentina leading all other Latin American countries in engagement. The surge has drawn the attention of influencers and media outlets alike, sparking reactions that range from laughter and bewilderment to outright anger.
And as the movement gains traction, psychologists are stepping in to analyze the phenomenon and its place in public discourse.
Aguara, who claims to identify as a Belgian Malinois and counts her age as the equivalent of two years and two months in dog years, says she’s a lot like any other teenager.
“I wake up like a normal person and live my life like a normal person,” she said. “I simply have moments when I like being a dog.”
As the leader of what she calls her “pack,” Aguara — the name she identifies with — boasts more than 125,000 followers on TikTok and coordinates regular meetups around the Argentine capital.
Aru, a 16-year-old who wore a seal mask to the park meetup, said she considers herself part of the “otherpaw” branch of therians: individuals who wear masks and tails or move on all fours just for fun. “It’s not necessarily about identifying as an animal,” she said.
She reckons the therian trend took off in Argentina because of the country’s “fairly free” environment. For other young Argentines, the movement has provided a vital community where they can feel truly accepted.
Should parents be worried?
Débora Pedace, a psychologist and director of the Integral Therapeutic Center in Buenos Aires, acknowledged that the phenomenon generates a complex mix of confusion, laughter and even anger.
“From a psychological standpoint, this is a symbolic identification with an animal,” Pedace said. “It becomes pathological or alarming only when it turns into a deeply rooted belief and the person fully assumes the role of an animal, potentially leading to self-harm or hurting others.”
