Fiji moves closer to pornography website ban

Minister for Communications Ioane Naivalurua confirmed yesterday that discussions on a possible ban on pornography websites in Fiji were ongoing.

The issue is not new. In July 2023, former Minister for Women Lynda Tabuya said plans to ban or regulate access to pornographic websites were being considered as part of efforts to address the impact of explicit online content.

The renewed discussions come as Papua New Guinea moves ahead with similar measures.

Papua New Guinea's telecommunications regulator is in the process of blocking more than 1000 websites containing pornography and other explicit material.

The Papua New Guinea Government had previously directed that websites considered harmful be blocked and last month issued a 30-day directive to implement the ban.

Mr Naivalurua said a meeting would be held today to discuss the possibility of introducing similar measures in Fiji.

Details on the scope of the proposed restrictions, how they would be enforced and whether legislative changes would be required are expected to be discussed during the meeting.

Any move to block access to pornography websites is likely to generate debate around online safety, child protection, internet freedoms and enforcement challenges.