PNG Petroleum and Energy Minister, Dixon Duban wants Social Media regulated

Petroleum and Energy Minister Nixon Duban

Minister for Petroleum and Energy and Madang MP, Nixon Duban is calling on responsible authorities to regulate the world wide web-based social media focusing on PNG.

The Minister said the Government in a National Executive Council Decision last year agreed for a regulatory policy for the social media. But he is questioning authorities charged with the responsibility why it is taking too long for such regulations to materialise.

He said while PNG enjoys the ideals of democracy underpinned by basics rights and freedoms of a free society, the internet and hi-tech information and communication technology revolution has moved the boundaries of these rights and freedoms to the extent where persons with political inclinations, opportunists and social media freaks are abusing these freedoms and rights.

“Serious instances are on face-book and other sites where people are opening up fake accounts to raise dangerously critical and defamatory allegations upon leaders and attracting thousands of opinions and negative commentaries at national leaders and other prominent Papua New Guineans that have far reaching consequences on their standing and integrity as leaders.

“We leaders are mandated by our respective constituencies and deserve respective, standing and integrity. We owe it only to those who voted us into office. It is unfair we find ourselves being tried publicly by misfits who feed off the social media world in earning themselves undeserved credibility and standing.

“I am calling on Authorities to fast-track the implementation of the NEC decision to regulate the Social Media and other risks associated with the realities of the Internet revolution in the context of PNG.

“As Government, and apart from regulations of the social media, it is incumbent upon us to ensure regulations are in place to combat and secure our people from other internet-based crimes and predatory schemes such as pornography, money laundering, child prostitution, human smuggling, gambling, including safeguarding businesses in PNG from intellectual property thefts and so on, ” said Mr Duban.

Mr Duban said unless speedy and serious efforts are done now by responsible authorities, including national security agencies of government, for a small nation like PNG, ‘we face the real consequences of being swamped by those like the social media’, said Duban.

 

PNG Today - Post Courier