News websites that report regularly on Singapore and have a local reach of 50,000 or more will need to be individually licensed from June 1. This is to put them on a "more consistent regulatory framework" with traditional platforms such as newspapers and television stations, which are already individually licensed, the Media Development Authority said on Tuesday. SMU Associate Dean (External Relations) and Associate Professor of Law, Warren Chik, said that the change would be perceived as tighter regulation and a "less light touch than before". He noted that the licensing requirements may eventually extend to sites such as The Online Citizen and Temasek Review. Associate Prof Chik said that the penalties under the licensing framework "may cause those running news sites to be more careful than before".