Anadolu staff
03 October 2025•Update: 06 October 2025
ANKARA
Papua New Guinea is mulling the imposition of age restrictions on the use of social media in the Pacific Island nation, The Guardian reported on Friday.
The government is expected to move a proposed social media law in the parliament later this month after the approval of the Cabinet.
Under the Social Media Policy 2025, users aged 14 and above will require to register for a SevisPass digital ID before accessing platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and X.
Officials say the measures are designed to curb fake news, online scams and abuse.
“We are in early discussions with Meta on enforcing age verification as a start,” Steven Matainaho, Papua New Guinea’s information and communications technology department secretary, told The Guardian.
However, the new policy to regulate online platforms have fueled public concern over access to information and raised fears of potential censorship.
Transparency International activist Yuambari Haihuie said safer online spaces should come through education and media literacy, and not government restrictions.
“Social media is the modern public space … this thinking needs to change,” he said.
Australia, Papua New Guinea’s southern neighbor, also passed a law last November banning access to social media for children.
New laws are set to come into force at the end of this year, barring anyone age 16 or below from using platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and X.
