Fiji rank top ten with highest data traffic for adult content and pornography

There is a surge in the consumption of adult content and pornography, ranking among the top 10 most accessed data traffic categories in the last three months, according to local telecommunications service providers.

Minister for Communications Manoa Kamikamica said one network provider recorded approximately 626.13 terabytes of data consumption related to adult content and porn in the last three months.

To put this in perspective, this volume is equivalent to the data stored in 100 million books.

Another network provider reported that adult content constituted about 1.6 per cent of their total data volume for one month, totalling 92 terabytes.

Mr Kamikamica addressed this issue in parliament in response to a question from Opposition MP Naisa Tuinaceva, who inquired about plans to regulate or ban pornographic sites due to concerns linking them to an increase in sexual crimes.

Four months ago in parliament, the Minister for Women, Children and Social protection, Lynda Tabuya, spoke on the same issue and revealed plans to ban or regulate access to adult sites.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for External Trade, Cooperative and SMEs, Manoa Kamikamica. Photo: Parliament of the Republic of Fiji

ODPP stats in October 

There were 22 people charged with a total of 56 counts of sexual offences.

The counts for sexual offences were rape (33), attempted rape (2), abduction with intent to commit rape (1), indecent assault (8) and sexual assault (12).

Of the 22 accused persons, five were juveniles. There were 22 victims, of whom 14 victims were under the age of 18 years.

There were three male victims and 19 female victims.

There were 11 alleged incidents where the victims and the accused were related.

Tackling the issue 

Acknowledging the complexity of the relationship between pornography and sexual crimes, Mr Kamikamica emphasised the importance of addressing the issue.

He expressed concern about the potential harms associated with excessive pornographic consumption and proposed the creation of a nationwide taskforce, seeking bipartisan cooperation, to tackle the problem comprehensively.

“With that being said, this warrants the nation’s attention and I’m sure that there is consensus on both sides of the house, that any crime including what is being discussed here today, which is sexually-related crimes, are a major concern, including the potential harms of excessive pornographic consumption,” he said.

“Effectively tackling the social ills, requires a concerted effort (involving various stakeholders, such as government ministries, the Online Safety Commission, police, civil society organisations, NGOs, the private sector, and members of the opposition) and multi stakeholder engagement targeted at addressing the root cause, including increased education and awareness campaigns to our people on developing healthy attitudes towards sex including importance of consent and what it means.

“Together we can turn the tide on the societal blemish with these viewers.”

In addition to exploring technological solutions like filtering systems, age verification, and content blocking, Mr Kamikamica acknowledged the challenges posed by tools like proxy servers and VPNs (virtual private network) that can bypass restrictions.

“So collectively, we need to identify the appropriate interventions that will address the root cause,” the minister said.

Looking ahead, Mr Kamikamica expressed the government’s commitment to prioritising these efforts in the coming year, with a focus on holistic solutions.

He stressed the need for a united front to turn the tide on the societal issues arising from the widespread consumption of adult content and pornography.

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