Friday 28th March 2025, Port Moresby – Transparency International Papua New Guinea (TIPNG) strongly
condemns the recent events surrounding the disruption of Facebook and internet in Papua New Guinea and
the subsequent justifications provided by government officials. These actions represent a dangerous erosion
of fundamental citizen rights and raise serious concerns about the growing centralising of power.
On March 24th, many Papua New Guineans experienced disruptions across various social media platforms,
including Facebook. In response, a press release from the Minister of Police acknowledged the successful
testing of ICT control systems to regulate online content, particularly on Facebook. Comments attributed to
the CEO of the National Information & Communications Technology Authority (NICTA) clarified that NICTA
had not been consulted or involved in this testing, and he highlighted his concern for the lack of inter-agency
coordination and transparency.
TIPNG reiterates that freedom of expression is a cornerstone of a democratic society. The Constitution of
Papua New Guinea guarantees this right under Section 46. While the Constitution allows for reasonable
restrictions, these must be justifiable and necessary in a democratic society. The actions taken by the
Government and the incoherence of the contradictory justifications provided, fail to meet this threshold.
The Counter-Terrorism Act 2024, cited as the legal basis for these actions, grants broad powers for
surveillance and information access. TIPNG is deeply concerned that the vague definition of “terrorism”
within this Act leaves it open to abuse, and unfortunately those fears are now being realized. The recent
actions of those in power demonstrate the potential for this law to be misused to suppress free speech and
curtail legitimate discourse, for instance when discussing votes of no confidence or even the expression of
public views on issues such as the forthcoming 2027 National Election.
“The shutting down of Facebook is only the latest in a pattern of behaviour by the Government to curtail
free speech in Papua New Guinea,” stated Mr. Peter Aitsi, Chairman of TIPNG. “This includes the rushing of
a controversial media policy last year, the threat of litigation by the Prime Minister & the Speaker over
newspaper articles this year and the ongoing abuse of the Cybercrime Code Act to silence civil society holding
power to account and protesting injustice.”
“TIPNG unequivocally condemns the government’s attempts to control online communication and restrict
freedom of expression. We call for the repeal of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2024. This draconian law has no
place in a democratic society, when the existing Criminal Code could be amended if required,” said Mr Aitsi.
Furthermore, TIPNG calls for:
1) The Ombudsman Commission and other constitutional offices with standing to seek a Supreme Court
reference on the use of the Terrorism Act this week, so as to avoid the unilateral abuse of its powers. This
can be done in conjunction with Parliament amending existing laws that have safeguards.
2) The Government to respect the independence of the media to self-regulate, and to increase the quality
of journalism not through censorship but instead by adequate funding to schools of journalism in tertiary
institutions in Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guineans do not want state-censorship of our media.
3) Our elected leaders and constitutional office holders to protect the freedom of expression as guaranteed
in the Constitution by not silencing critical voices in our country. Complaints should be handled by the
independent Media Council of PNG process.
TIPNG remains steadfast in our commitment to promoting good governance, transparency, and
accountability. We will continue to advocate for the protection of fundamental rights and oppose any
attempts to undermine democracy in Papua New Guinea.
