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559
Papua New Guinea shuts down Facebook in test to stop 'pornography, misinformation, hate speech' (www.abc.net.au)
submitted 1 week ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
47 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Papua New Guinea's government has shut down social media platform Facebook, in what it describes as a "test" to mitigate hate speech, misinformation, pornography and "other detrimental content".

The test, conducted under the country's anti-terrorism laws, began on Monday morning and has extended into Tuesday.

Facebook users in the country have been unable to log-in to the platform and it is unclear how long the ban will go on for.

The government's move was not flagged ahead of the "test" on Monday — a move opposition MPs and media leaders have described as "tyranny" and an "abuse of human rights".

Facebook is by far the most popular social media platform in the country, with an estimated 1.3 million users, or about half of the country's estimated 2.6 million internet users.

The platform is a critical tool for public discourse in the country, with many highly active forums used to discuss PNG politics and social issues.

Yet, the government has been highly critical of Facebook with the platform often blamed for helping spread misinformation, particularly in light of a recent spate of tribal killings in the country.

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[–] [email protected] 34 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Normally, I see any news on government blocking social media for any stated reasons as typically a cover for censorship. But with how Facebook and other social media morphed into something else, I could not care less if they are blocked.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago

I want to celebrate this, but it's hard not to see it as an attempt at authoritarianism. I think the right way to do a Facebook ban is to ensure people have access to a good alternative (like Mastodon) before pulling the plug.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

This absolutely is censorship. Correct way to handle this would be to create laws and prosecute Facebook for not following them.

All of these comments are justifying autocracy because it's their flavor of autocracy smh