Naivalurua urges responsible social media use

Minister for Policing and Communications Ioane Naivalurua has called on Fijians to use social media responsibly, while declining to comment directly on allegations involving a Cabinet minister accused of exposing a social media user's personal information online.

Mr Naivalurua was asked about public concerns surrounding allegations that Minister for Information Linda Tabuya revealed the identity, workplace and residential details of a social media user following criticism posted online.

The incident has sparked debate on social media, with some users describing the action as a form of "doxing" — the public release of a person's private information without their consent.

Asked whether such conduct was ethical, Mr Naivalurua declined to comment on the specific allegations.

“I would prefer not to comment on that,” he said.

However, he stressed the importance of responsible online behaviour and warned against using social media platforms for harmful purposes.

“My simple message is that we need to be very careful what we say online.”

“If it doesn’t help a life, then you should not do that,” Mr Naivalurua said.

He said information shared online should be verified and that proper procedures should be followed when raising concerns or reporting issues.

“If you’re reporting on something, there are processes that must be followed. We need to verify things that are out on Facebook online,” he said.

The Minister said he did not support the misuse of social media and called for online platforms to be used in ways that benefit society.

“We need to advocate a culture that uses online and various communication means for the best interests of our people and our nation, not for a negative purpose,” he said.