Papua New Guinea restores Facebook access following counter-terrorism operation

Papua New Guinea lifted a surprise ban on Facebook just days after its implementation. The ban began on Monday and was initially described as a “trial” aimed at curbing hate speech, misinformation, and adult content by officials.

However, it was later revealed that the shutdown was part of a broader counter-terrorism operation.

Background and implementation of the ban

The ban was enforced without prior notice and affected approximately 1.3 to 1.6 million Facebook users in the country.

Police Minister Peter Tsiamalili Jr. initially stated that the move was a “test” to limit harmful content, emphasising that it was not intended to suppress free speech but to protect citizens from detrimental material. He noted, “The unregulated spread of misinformation, hate speech, pornography, exploitation, incitement to violence on platforms like Facebook is intolerable”.

However, critics, including opposition MP Allan Bird, characterised the decision as “draconian,” arguing that it marked a dangerous step towards suppressing freedoms.

Bird stated, “There are no limits to the powers that the police minister can wield under this new legislation. It is a harsh law aimed at stripping away our freedoms”. The ban also sparked concerns about political autocracy and human rights abuses, with Neville Choi, president of the National Media Council, describing it as “bordering on political autocracy and an abuse of human rights”.

Lifting of the ban and counter-terrorism efforts

On Wednesday, the ban was lifted after the police successfully conducted a counter-terrorism operation. Police Commissioner David Manning explained that Facebook was taken down as part of efforts to apprehend individuals involved in attempts to incite terrorism.

Manning stated, “A counter-terrorism operation is underway to apprehend two men connected to attempts to incite an act of terrorism. Over the past hours, police had reduced the immediate threat to the community, and temporary restrictions on the Facebook social media platform have been removed”.

The operation aimed to disrupt a criminal network using Facebook to incite violence and social unrest. With the immediate threat mitigated, the police focus on identifying other alleged offenders and targeting their financial assets. As access to Facebook has been restored, the police commissioner reminded users to exercise caution when using social media.