Failure to act decisively on addressing online misinformation could allow the situation to spiral further out of control.
This warning was issued by Police Online Inspector Salote Vuniwaqa during the ‘Digital Veiwekani: Fighting Fake News Together’ panel discussion hosted by the German Embassy in Suva, saying disinformation and online scams are among the most pressing digital threats currently facing law enforcement.
Ms Vuniwaqa said the scale of digital misinformation was growing and demanded a collaborative response.
“If we don’t tackle it now, it’s going to get worse,” she said.
“Fake news is a multifaceted issue. It needs the involvement not just of police officers, but also media agencies and individual social media users.”
She said current trends showed that most of the reports coming in related to scams and disinformation.
Ms Vuniwaqa said disinformation — content intentionally crafted to mislead — posed a significant threat, especially when it comes to public trust and safety online.
“When we assess reports, we find that the intention behind a post often determines how much of a threat it becomes on social media.
“The danger is not just in the message, but in the motive behind it.”
She noted that both the Online Safety Act and Cybercrime Act provided legal frameworks to deal with such threats, and added that enforcement was only one part of the solution.
With more than 25 years of experience, Ms Vuniwaqa is the first local police officer to be seconded to the Online Safety Commission.
