Govt prioritises internet filtering

INFORMATION and Communications Technology Minister Timothy Masiu says as part of the Government’s effort for a guided digital transformation journey, the National Executive Council has made an executive decision to initiate the enforcement of filtering unsuitable internet content within the country’s boundaries.
In a statement yesterday, he said: “Unsuitable content, as defined by this new measure, encompasses pornography, materials that are hateful or offensive, and content that promotes violence, extremism, or any form of harmful behaviour.
“The National Censorship Office, as the primary government agency, will be entrusted with the task of defining and curating a list if IP addresses and websites that host or provide access to such unsuitable content.
“Following this, the National ICT Authority will direct ISPs and Internet Gateway Providers to impose restrictions based on this list, ensuring that access to such content is blocked.
“As per the National Cyber Security Policy 2021, a robust system of monitoring and compliance will be implemented through the joint efforts of the National Censorship Office, the National ICT Authority (Nicta), and the PNG Department of Information and
Communications Technology within the National Cyber Coordination Centre.
“This collaborative enforcement has been spearheaded by both the Ministry of Communication Development and Religion and the Ministry of ICT and it serves as an interim measure until such time the National Censorship Office has wider enforcement powers in the online space.
“Our overarching goal is to empower our citizens with access to positive, educational, and constructive content while shielding them from potential harm.
“As we seek for our towns, markets and cities to be safe, so should we seek for the online space to be a safe and positive space.
“We urge the public to support this initiative, as it paves the way for a more secure and responsible digital future for Papua New Guinea.”