Papua New Guinea considers age restrictions on social media ...

Papua New Guinea is in “early” discussions with Meta on imposing age restrictions to reduce the impact of harmful content, amid criticism of the government’s “heavy-handed” approach so far on social media regulation.

The government expects its proposed Social Media Policy 2025 will be taken to parliament later this month. Under the policy, users aged 14 and over will need a SevisPass digital ID before they can log in to platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and X.

The government said the changes were needed to stop online abuse, fake news and scams. Social media companies will also have to register in PNG and follow local laws, and a new national e-Safety Directorate will be set up to monitor harmful content.

“We are in early discussions with Meta on enforcing age verification as a start,” PNG’s information and communications technology department secretary, Steven Matainaho, told the Guardian.

Officials declined to comment further. A government source told the Guardian the cabinet had approved the social media policy and that it would be tabled in parliament when it sits next month.

Meta did not respond to a request for comment.

The proposed restrictions come as PNG’s southern neighbour, Australia, prepares to roll out its long-anticipated under-16s social media ban. Governments and tech firms are closely watching Australia’s efforts, which will likely rely on artificial intelligence and behavioural data to estimate the age of users, and not conduct blanket age-verification.

Attempts to regulate online content and platforms has driven public concern in PNG about access to information and fears of censorship.

“On paper it sounds like protection, but in reality it could silence people who rely on Facebook or TikTok to speak out,” Jonathan Makil, a political science student at the University of Papua New Guinea, said.

Emmanuel Tipi, a comedian known as KabbageGang on Facebook, said the platform was “one of the most powerful tools for ordinary Papua New Guineans to share information, express themselves, and access news beyond traditional media.

“If the government introduces heavy-handed regulations such as ID registration, it risks silencing voices, especially those who rely on humour and creativity to educate and engage,” Tipi said. “People may feel less free to interact, comment, or share because of fear of surveillance.”

In March, the government prompted outrage when it temporarily shut down Facebook as a “test” to assess its capabilities to regulate online content. It did so under new anti-terrorism laws that gave the government powers to monitor and restrict online communication.

Facebook is the most widely used social media platform in the Pacific nation of around 11 million people. It is most popular with 18–34 year-olds and commonly used for political discussions and activism, though the country also struggles with the spread of misinformation and violent content.

The shutdown prompted widespread anger from users across PNG. The government said its actions were designed to protect young people from harmful content.

Small business owner Sylvia Pascoe, who relies on Facebook to run her events management company, said the shutdown “disrupted everyone, yet no one has explained what it achieved or why it mattered. That only deepens the distrust.

“Social media isn’t just for fun for most people; for many people, this is their shopfront and their only source of revenue for feeding their families,” Pascoe said. “The more they make life harder for ordinary people just trying to survive, the more that trust breaks down.”

Technology expert and activist Yuambari Haihuie has spent over a decade advocating for good governance with Transparency International Papua New Guinea. He said the attempts by authorities to “silence discussion” on platforms, such as the Facebook shutdown, should not be the way to make social media safer.

Haihuie said online media can be made safer “through education to promote safe conduct and media literacy in schools and on the platform itself.

“We haven’t developed the same instinct for our digital freedoms on social media, which is the modern public space … this thinking needs to change,” he said.