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Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

Tech

Papua New Guinea bans Facebook, some officials were ‘unaware’ of move

Thursday

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Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Michael Edwards (Video Editor)

Papua New Guinea banned Facebook under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2024, citing concerns over hate speech, pornography and online harm. The ban was enforced without informing the country’s IT regulator.
Critics, including opposition leaders and small business owners, condemned the move, calling it excessive and a threat to digital freedoms. Many users have turned to virtual private networks to bypass the ban.
The country has a history of Facebook restrictions, including a temporary ban in 2018 and an inquiry into misinformation in 2023.

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Papua New Guinea has banned Facebook in what it describes as a “test” to regulate online content and protect citizens from hate speech and pornography.

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The country’s Police Minister Peter Tsiamalili announced that the restriction, which began on Monday, March 24, falls under the framework of the Pacific nation’s Anti-Terrorism Act of 2024.

He emphasized that the initiative aims to ensure responsible use of social media while preventing harmful content from spreading.

The government has the responsibility to protect its citizens from harmful content and the spread of misinformation. This was a necessary step to evaluate our capabilities in maintaining public order.
Peter Tsiamalili, Police Minister

Access to Facebook has been cut off for over a million estimated users in the country. However, local media reports suggest that many are bypassing the ban by using virtual private networks (VPNs).

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Government cites safety concerns

“The unchecked proliferation of fake news, hate speech, pornography, child exploitation, and incitement to violence on platforms such as Facebook is unacceptable,” Tsiamalili stated. “These challenges increasingly threaten the safety, dignity, and well-being of our populace.”

He denied that the measure was an attempt to suppress free speech, instead calling on Facebook and other social media platforms to act responsibly. He also warned that the government would not hesitate to take decisive action if platforms were misused.

Critics condemn ban, citing violation of free speech

Despite the government’s justification, critics raised concerns over the ban’s sudden enforcement. Many small business owners rely on Facebook to connect with customers, and the disruption has sparked backlash.

Opposition Minister Allan Bird labeled the decision “draconian.”

There is no limit to the powers the minister of police can exercise under this new law. It is a draconian law designed to take away our freedoms. We are now heading into dangerous territory, and everyone is powerless to stop this tyranny.
Allan Bird, Opposition Minister

The ban was reportedly implemented without notifying the country’s own information and technology regulator, the National Information and Communication Technology Authority (NICTA). Initially, NICTA stated that the cause of Monday’s Facebook outage was unclear, according to Australia’s ABC News.

History of Facebook restrictions

In 2018, authorities imposed a one-month ban to root out fake profiles. Again, in 2023, the government launched an inquiry into what it called misinformation and harmful content on the platform.

Tags: Facebook, Papua New Guinea, Social Media

PAPUA NEW GUINEA HAS TEMPORARILY BANNED FACEBOOK, CLAIMING IT’S A “TEST” TO REGULATE ONLINE CONTENT AND PROTECT ITS CITIZENS FROM WHAT IT CALLS “HATE SPEECH” AND PORNOGRAPHY.

THE BAN WENT INTO EFFECT MONDAY… REPORTEDLY CATCHING SOME OFFICIALS OFF GUARD –

THE COUNTRY’S OWN “INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY REGULATOR” – SAID IT WAS NOT INFORMED ABOUT THE BAN BEFORE IT WAS ENFORCED. THE AGENCY LATER EMPHASIZED THE NEED TO BALANCE “NATIONAL SECURITY WITH DIGITAL FREEDOM.”

PAPUA NEW GUINEA OFFICIALS HAVE HAD DIVERGING REACTIONS.

THE COUNTRY’S POLICE MINISTER DEFENDED THE MOVE – SAYING –

“The government has the responsibility to protect its citizens from harmful content and the spread of misinformation. This was a necessary step to evaluate our capabilities in maintaining public order.”

THE GOVERNOR OF PAPUA NEW GUNNEA’S “EAST SEPIK” PROVINCE VOICED OPPOSITION TO THE GOVERNMENT’S ACTION –

SAYING “During the debate on the anti-terrorism bill in parliament, I pointed out that the law was too broad and could be used against innocent people. We are now heading into dangerous territory and everyone is powerless to stop this tyranny. It is draconian law designed to take away our freedoms.”

THE ANTI-TERROR ACT WAS PASSED LAST YEAR – AND IT ALLOWS AUTHORITIES TO SURVEIL ONLINE ACTIVITY – GIVING THE GOVERNMENT SWEEPING POWERS TO MONITOR AND RESTRICT DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS IN THE NAME OF “COMBATING TERRORISM AND CYBERCRIME.”

THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME THE PAPUA NEW GUINEA GOVERNMENT HAS CRACKED DOWN ON FACEBOOK.

IN 2018, THE PLATFORM WAS BANNED FOR ABOUT A MONTH – OFFICIALS THEN SAYING IT WAS “TO ROOT OUT FAKE PROFILES.”

AND IN 2023 – OFFICIALS LAUNCHED A FORMAL INVESTIGATION INTO WHAT IT CALLED FACEBOOK MISINFORMATION.

AS OF THIS RECORDING – FACEBOOK HAS NOT PUBLICLY COMMENTED ON THE BAN IN THE COUNTRY.

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Bias Summary

The Papua New Guinea government, under Police Minister Peter Tsiamalili and the Anti-Terrorism Act 2024, implemented a technology test that blocked Facebook for much of Monday, March 24, and continued into Tuesday, March 25, targeting mobile devices and operators.
The government's action was motivated by concerns over the unchecked proliferation of fake news, hate speech, pornography, child exploitation, and incitement to violence on social media platforms, particularly Facebook, which has an estimated 1.3 million users in Papua New Guinea.
The test, conducted in partnership with the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, the National Information and Communications Technology Authority, and internet service providers, aimed to demonstrate enhanced technological capacity to regulate social media and mitigate detrimental content.
Minister Tsiamalili stated, "We are not attempting to suppress free speech or restrict our citizens from expressing their viewpoints," while Allan Bird, East Sepik Governor, warned, "We are now heading into dangerous territory and everyone is powerless to stop this tyranny," highlighting differing perspectives on the action.
The Facebook shutdown has faced criticism from opposition lawmakers, media groups, and business leaders, who fear it undermines free speech and disrupts economic activity, particularly for small traders relying on the platform, while many social media users circumvented the block by downloading VPN apps.

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