Commission to draft internet access law

 The Constitutional Law Reform Commission is considering drafting internet legislations to look at access to the internet and its harmful effects, secretary Dr Eric Kwa said.

Kwa said the commission would propose a number of legislations to adequately address different kinds of access to the internet, which currently do not have sufficient legal and enforcement mechanisms.

“The internet covers a broad range of area in terms of the harmful effects that it has,” Kwa said.

“The National Information Communication Technology Authority is spearheading the proposed legislations on cyber-crime.

“An adhoc group comprising selected government department representatives and the National Information Communication Technology Authority has been working on a cyber-crime legislative framework since 2012.”

He said the commission would fill the gaps from other proposed legislations dealing with Information Communication Technology.

“In terms of the proposed internet legislations, key issues to be addressed would be children’s access to adult sites, child pornography, cyber-bullying among others that have not been address in other proposed legislations dealing with information communication technology.”

He said the commission would be assisted by New Zealand experts on the matter.

He said New Zealand had a comprehensive legislation which covered the internet. The commission will not necessarily adopt it but set it as the benchmark in drafting PNG’s legislation.