The Papua New Guinea Government is looking to biometric technology as part of a new push to tackle fake social media accounts, online harassment and the spread of misinformation across digital platforms.
Acting Information and Communication Technology Minister Peter Tsiamalili Jr told Parliament that the recently launched Sevis PNG Digital ID system would provide authorities with a stronger tool to identify individuals responsible for cyber abuse and other online offences.
The announcement came in response to concerns raised by Wewak MP Stanley Samban, who said anonymous and fraudulent social media accounts were becoming a growing threat to public discourse, personal safety and national unity.
Mr Samban said the misuse of social media had moved beyond political debate and was increasingly being used for cyberbullying, character attacks and the dissemination of false information targeting ordinary citizens, vulnerable groups and national leaders.
He told Parliament that many elected leaders and their families had become victims of online abuse and questioned what measures were being taken to combat fake Facebook accounts and improve enforcement of the Cybercrime Code Act 2016.
“I stand here as one of the victims. I am not on Facebook, but plenty of fake accounts have been created under my name and have damaged my reputation as a national leader,” Mr Samban said.
Responding to the concerns, Mr Tsiamalili said one of the biggest obstacles facing authorities was the difficulty in identifying the real people operating social media accounts.
He revealed that during discussions with Meta at its regional headquarters in Sydney last year, he proposed requiring Facebook users in PNG to register using either a PNG driver's licence or a National Identification card.
According to the Minister, Meta indicated that privacy regulations made such a requirement difficult to implement. However, the Government has since introduced the Sevis PNG Digital ID platform, which allows citizens to establish secure digital identities using fingerprint and facial recognition technology.
Mr Tsiamalili said the Digital ID initiative was expected to strengthen cybercrime investigations by linking verified identities to digital services and telecommunications systems. He added that discussions were already underway with mobile service providers, including Digicel, to integrate Digital ID into SIM card registration processes.
The Minister said biometric verification would make it more difficult for individuals to conceal their identities behind multiple phone numbers or fake online profiles, improving the ability of regulators and law enforcement agencies to investigate online offences.
He encouraged Papua New Guineans to register for the Sevis PNG application, which also provides access to services such as SevisPass digital credentials, SevisWallet and electronic police clearance applications.
“What the digital ID will do is that it will single you out because it will capture your biometric plus your fingerprint and will pin you down to a single number,” he said.