The government of Papua New Guinea has shut down the social media platform Facebook under the guise of a "test," claiming the move is aimed at reducing the spread of hate speech, misinformation, pornography, and "other harmful content."
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03-26, 2025This "test," conducted under the country's anti-terrorism laws, began on Monday morning and has continued into Tuesday. Currently, Facebook users in Papua New Guinea are unable to log in to the platform, and it remains unclear how long the ban will last.
The government did not issue an advance warning before implementing the "test" on Monday, and opposition members of parliament and media leaders have described the move as "tyranny" and a "violation of human rights." Papua New Guinea's Police Minister Peter Tsiamalili stated in a statement that the move is intended to ensure that social media platforms like Facebook are used "responsibly" while excluding "harmful content" from public discussion.
Minister Tsiamalili stated: "We are not trying to suppress freedom of expression or restrict citizens from expressing their views. However, on platforms like Facebook, the uncontrolled spread of fake news, hate speech, pornography, child exploitation, and incitement to violence is unacceptable. These challenges increasingly threaten the safety, dignity, and well-being of our people."
Facebook is the most popular social media platform in Papua New Guinea, with an estimated 1.3 million users, accounting for about half of the country's 2.6 million internet users. In comparison, Instagram has approximately 106,000 users. Facebook is an important tool for public discussion in the country, with many active forums used to discuss political and social issues in Papua New Guinea. However, the government has been critical of Facebook, arguing that the platform has fueled the spread of misinformation, especially after a series of recent tribal clashes in the country. As early as 2023, the government announced a parliamentary inquiry into "media disinformation" and has long threatened to take action against Facebook.
Facebook's parent company, Meta, has been contacted for comment. Neville Choi, chairman of the Papua New Guinea Media Council, told local newspaper The Post-Courier that the move was "bordering on political dictatorship and a violation of human rights." Allan Bird, an opposition member of parliament in Papua New Guinea, described the move as "draconian." He said: "Yesterday, the Police Minister used the anti-terrorism act to shut down Facebook, saying it's just a test, it's a first step. There's no limit to the powers that the Police Minister can exercise under this new law. It's a draconian law designed to take away our freedoms. We are now heading into dangerous territory and everyone is powerless to stop this tyranny."
John Pora, chairman of the Papua New Guinea Small to Medium Enterprise Corporation, said that some business people were shocked by this. He said: "The informal sector will be affected, such as car dealers and online consumer-to-consumer sellers. We have hundreds of thousands of people in the informal sector and they will feel uncertain, so I hope the system will be back online as soon as possible so they can do business."
Adding to the complexity, the Papua New Guinea National Information and Communication Technology Authority revealed last night that they were unaware of the government's plan, despite the Police Minister's claim that the department supported the move. Papua New Guinea is not the first Pacific nation to take measures to ban Facebook. In 2021, neighboring Solomon Islands, under the leadership of former Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, also proposed a ban on Facebook, but abandoned the plan after strong public protests.
