Government is considering whether to follow Australia in banning children under 16 from using social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Communications Manoa Kamikamica said Fiji was watching closely as Australia prepares to enforce its new framework in December, which will require providers to block or remove under-16 accounts.
“Fiji is studying Australia’s move to ban social media use for children under 16 before deciding whether to adopt a similar law,” Mr Kamikamica told Parliament.
“We acknowledge that having this implemented properly could be another effective layer in safeguarding our children from inappropriate content,” he said.
Responding to questions by The Fiji Times, he cautioned that implementation would not be straightforward.
“We will look closely at the FB Ban as legislated in Australia.
“The Government is keen to protect our people and children. We hope to look at legislation.”
Mr Kamikamica said one of the biggest challenges would be verifying the age of users while protecting privacy.
“This will need to be looked at closely. The National ID, soon to be launched, may well help with ID verification.”
He said the Online Safety Commission was most likely to lead enforcement if the policy went ahead.
“The responsible agency will need to be considered. Most likely, it may well be the Online Service Commission.”
The minister said consultations with parents, schools, youth groups, tech firms, and child-protection advocates would be essential.
“Comprehensive consultation will be done.”
Mr Kamikamica told Parliament the Government would also study enforcement measures and penalties under Australia’s system during a mission early next year, before weighing legal and technical options in Fiji.
