Papua New Guinea to ban social media for youth, require age verification for adults

Papua New Guinea is riding Australia’s wake in legislating age assurance for social media. The nation’s Ministry for ICT this week announced that it has finalized its Social Media Policy Concept Note, which would prohibit underage users from accessing “certain social media platforms.”

A notice on LinkedIn posted by government digital transformation lead Steven Matainaho says that “with the concerning rise in fraud, illegal goods distribution, human trafficking, disinformation, and cyber harassment, it’s clear that hard action is necessary” to “protect our children from harmful content.”

The draft law would also require “mandatory digital ID (SevisPass) for adults,” meaning adult users accessing age-restricted content will need a verified digital ID for age verification – but again, only “on certain platforms.”

The ambiguity around which platforms could be covered by the age assurance law suggests that Papua New Guinea is having the same conversations as Australia about the status of sites like YouTube.

The law would also require social media companies operating in the country to register there.

The first draft is set to be introduced in January 2025, followed by “broad consultations” before proposing formal legislation.

“Social media is not just a platform,” Matainaho writes. “It’s where many illegal and unethical activities frequently converge. Should we continue allowing full access for our children and vulnerable populations to such places? It’s time to build a safer online community for all Papua New Guineans.”

The post prompted a flurry of comments, indicating fault lines in the argument that also mirror the Australian debate between advocates for online protection and those for online freedom. Stances range from “don’t play the role of the parents” to “I have kids and this is great news. I also know that Australia has also done a similar approach for their kids. Excellent direction by the PNG government.”

The stakes around social media are higher in Papua New Guinea than many other places, in that it has been linked to incidents of violence. According to D.C. nonprofit the United States Institute of Peace, local social media feeds show a “notable proliferation of horrible images, videos and viral narratives surrounding sorcery accusation related violence (SARV), along with justifications for employing violence against those who are accused.”

Article Topics

age verification  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  legislation  |  Papua New Guinea  |  SevisPass  |  social media