When all things are considered and done, Fiji’s online space is set to become “much nastier” as political tensions rise in the face of looming national elections. In the face of that, we’ve got to expect fake news, fake profiles and targeted online cruelty which are already escalating as the campaign period starts.
National Federation Party leader Biman Prasad believes social media is increasingly being used as a weapon to spread misinformation and manipulate public opinion, while the Online Safety Commission says individuals and families are facing growing waves of humiliation and digital abuse.
Commissioner Filipe Batiwale warned that cruelty online was becoming normalised, and called for greater accountability as harmful content spreads rapidly across social media platforms.
Political parties have now been urged to communicate clearly and honestly with voters as fake news and fake profiles are expected to intensify during the campaign period.
Prof Prasad said some political actors were exploiting online platforms to spread misleading information about political parties and public figures. He noted that fake accounts and fabricated stories had become common features of the political social media environment.
Political parties, he said, must be prepared and equipped to confront what he described as widespread “social media fakery”, warning that conditions online would deteriorate further as campaigning intensified.
He also stressed that political leaders had a responsibility not to inflame the problem and instead engage openly and honestly with voters. Prof Prasad questioned why people in institutions and government departments were responding to bloggers and fake accounts, saying such engagement gave them legitimacy and encouraged their behaviour. Against this backdrop, the Fiji Labour Party has confirmed that party leader and former prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry will lead the party into the 2026-2027 General Elections, dismissing online claims suggesting otherwise as false and deliberately misleading.
The party rejected social media allegations that management had appointed Ben Padarath to replace Mr Chaudhry as leader ahead of the elections.
Mr Chaudhry said the rumours appeared to be part of a calculated attempt to discredit the party and confuse voters in the lead-up to the polls. He said the party was carrying out its own investigations and would lodge a police report once inquiries were completed.
He also urged members of the public to exercise caution when consuming and sharing political content online.
Mr Batiwale believes harmful online conduct and targeted abuse are no longer isolated incidents in Fiji.
He maintained that while people are entitled to political opinions and freedom of expression, that freedom should never be abused to destroy others through harassment, threats and sustained online attacks.
We say fake news is not something that has suddenly appeared out of the woodworks. We saw it during the lead-up to the 2022 General Elections, and looking ahead to the next national polls, we should expect it to get nasty.
This is why we must remain vigilant. We must question posts that appear too sensational or convenient. We must resist the temptation to react emotionally before checking facts and sources. Too many people are being drawn into sharing and commenting on false information without verification.
The challenge before us now is to stay alert, ask tough questions, verify information, and refuse to become willing participants in the spread of fake news. We say democracy depends on free speech and on responsible citizens who value truth over manipulation.
