Why Papua New Guinea is banning Facebook for a month

Experts will analyse effects of fake news
and pornography spread on social media site

One-Minute Read

The Oceanian country’s communications minister, Sam
Basil, said restricting access to the website would allow his
department’s analysts to gather information in order “to
identify users that hide behind fake accounts, users that upload
pornographic images, [and] users that post false and misleading
information”. 

This content will be “filtered and removed”, leaving “genuine
people with real identities to use the social network responsibly”,
he added.

The planned move comes amid growing concerns about the effects
of social media on users’ well-being, security and
productivity, The Guardian says.

Basil told Papua New Guinea’s Post-Courier newspaper: “The national government,
swept along by IT globalisation, never really had the chance to
ascertain the advantages or disadvantages [of Facebook] – and even
educate and provide guidance on use of social networks like
Facebook to Papua New Guinean users.”

The minister also suggested the possibility of creating a
home-grown equivalent for the sovereign island nation, in the
western South
Pacific Ocean.

“We can gather our local applications developers to create a
site that is more conducive for Papua New Guineans to communicate
within the country and abroad as well,” Basil said. 

It’s unclear when the ban will go into effect, or why the
blockage was deemed necessary to study the use of Facebook, says
Time magazine.

The plan has faced widespread criticism in Papua New Guinea.
Paul Barker, director of the Papuan think-tank Institute of National Affairs, described the
move as a “mockery” of regulations laid out by
the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec), of which Papua
New Guinea is a member.

“The Apec meeting is all about promoting the digital era to
assist business, develop economies and improve citizen welfare in
member countries,” Barker said. “It would be a travesty if
Papua New Guinea sought to close down Facebook during the Apec
month [in November], making Papua New Guinea seem rather foolish,
as it would be both an attack on embracing technology, undermining
the information era and mechanisms for accountability, but also
damaging business and welfare.”

In a series of interviews by the Post-Courier, residents described the proposed
shutdown as “a knee-jerk reaction” and “a total violation of
civil rights”.