A SURGE in online bullying complaints, with women accounting for nearly two-thirds of complainants, has prompted Fiji’s Online Safety Commissioner to warn that banning social media will not fix bad behaviour without stronger accountability and a change in attitudes at home and in the community.
Online Safety Commissioner Filipe Batiwale said harmful online behaviour would persist even if individual platforms were restricted, as offenders could move to other digital spaces.
“We cannot simply ban our way out of bad behaviour,” Mr Batiwale said in an exclusive interview with The Fiji Times. “We could restrict one application tomorrow, but the same behaviour could continue on Facebook, Instagram, messaging applications or another platform.”
The Commission received 406 online bullying complaints in 2025, nearly three times the 148 recorded in 2024. Another 294 complaints were received between January and August this year. Women accounted for 63 per cent of complainants during the eight-month period, compared with 59 per cent in 2025.
The figures form part of a broader increase in complaints received by the Commission, which recorded 1608 cases in 2025, up about 17 per cent from 1377 in 2024. A further 935 complaints were lodged between January and August this year.
Mr Batiwale acknowledged growing public frustration over harmful content repeatedly circulating online, saying some of the behaviour reported to the Commission was deeply troubling.
The Commission recorded 253 electronic communications removed between January and August this year, exceeding the 175 removals recorded throughout 2025.
Facebook was the platform most frequently identified in complaints during the eight-month period, with 473 cases, followed by TikTok with 232.
Mr Batiwale said matters involving suspected criminal conduct were referred to the Fiji Police Force, including its Cyber Crime Unit. Twenty-six matters were recorded under the unit’s referral status between January and August this year, while separate operational records were being reconciled to avoid double-counting.
He said addressing online abuse required a combination of enforcement, education and greater responsibility from technology companies.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that people understand how to use it safely and responsibly, while also requiring greater accountability from the companies providing these services,” he said.
Mr Batiwale also stressed the importance of examining the values instilled in children and adults at home and in their communities, and how these influenced their conduct online.
He said education, awareness and safer technology could help prevent harmful incidents, alongside greater accountability for those who use digital platforms to target others.
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