Papua New Guinea's government has shut down social media platform Facebook, in what it describes as a "test" to mitigate hate speech, misinformation, pornography and "other detrimental content". The test, conducted under the country's anti-terrorism laws, began on Monday morning and has extended into Tuesday. Facebook users in the country have been unable to log-in to the platform and it is unclear how long the ban will go on for.
The government's move was not flagged ahead of the "test" on Monday — a move opposition MPs and media leaders have described as "tyranny" and an "abuse of human rights". In a statement, PNG's Police Minister Peter Tsiamalili said the initiative was to ensure "responsible usage" of social media platforms like Facebook while keeping "harmful content" out of public discourse. PNG Police Minister Peter Tsiamalili says the objective of the test is to 'regulate harmful content'.
"However, the unchecked proliferation of fake news, hate speech, pornography, child exploitation, and incitement to violence on platforms such as Facebook is unacceptable. "These challenges increasingly threaten the safety, dignity, and well-being of our populace." Facebook is by far the most popular social media platform in the country, , or about half of the country's estimated 2.
6 million internet users. In comparison, Instagram has about 106,000 users. The platform is a critical tool for public discourse in the country, with many highly active forums used to discuss PNG poli.