Members of the National Censorship Board are currently in West New Britain (WNB) conducting surveys to assess the use of internet.
The objective is to develop policies that ensure the safe use of the internet, particularly in filtering undesired materials such as explicit photographic content.
During a courtesy call to the Acting Provincial Administrator Leo Mapmani, Acting Executive Manager Strategic Policy and Coordination, Nickson Kaido clarified the board's mission. The focus is on regulating content delivered in Papua New Guinea, especially on TV channels, to ensure it complies with established standards.
WNB Provincial Administration ICT Acting Director Jason Martin proposed decentralizing powers to the provinces for effective internet use monitoring.
Martin highlighted the challenge of outdated legislation, referring to the 1989 Censorship Act, which does not adequately cover emerging technologies. The board is actively reviewing the act to address the gaps and strengthen regulations, particularly concerning the internet.
The Censorship team is also investigating whether Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are effectively controlling the content reaching organizations. Martin emphasized the need for ISPs to implement measures that ensure the content aligns with government regulations.
He pointed out that many ISPs merely provide a pipeline for data without actively monitoring the content, leaving organizations to handle the responsibility internally. The West New Britain Provincial Government has invested significantly in hardware and software to enforce content regulations and ensure that internet access is used for legitimate purposes.
Additionally the government is extending its support to other institutions such as the nursing colleague, Kimbe Secondary and the Provincial Health Authority by assisting in establishing secure internet connections. Plans are in place to connect these institutions by the end of the year, ensuring that they adhere to content regulations before accessing services.
The overarching goal is to strike a balance between providing access to information and safeguarding against inappropriate content. The National Censorship Board aims to create policies that enable responsible internet use in Papua New Guinea.