FiJi’S flourishing internet access has brought immeasurable economic and social benefits to communities, but also an insidious side effect that threatens the safety and security of Fijian children.
The anti-porn task force has revealed that 1360 terabytes (TB) of data was used to access pornographic content in the third and fourth quarters of 2024, which equates to 15 TB per day.
To put this into perspective, 15 TB per day means you could theoretically download around 3000 HD movies every single day. This staggering amount of data highlights the scale of internet usage in Fiji and the potential for harmful content to be shared and accessed rapidly.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica has sounded the alarm about the rise in Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM) online.
In 2023, the US National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received 3638 suspected CSAM reports from Fiji.
Mr Kamikamica said those cases needed to be investigated and prosecuted.
“But more worrying is the rise in child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) online, which include grooming and explicit images and videos or texts sent to children through online platforms. These need to be investigated and prosecuted,” he said.
Mr Kamikamica said one of their primary workstreams was addressing online child sexual exploitation and abuse materials.
“One of my ministry’s programs of work has been facilitating capacity-building for the police, ODPP and judiciary.
“This is in relation to the treatment of electronic evidence to successfully investigate and prosecute this crime.”
Members of the media were also told that pornography accounted for approximately 1.3 per cent of Fiji’s total internet traffic in both quarters. In addition, the estimated monetary value of pornographic data usage stood at about $130,000 per quarter and pornographic traffic was ranked between 11 and 25 among all internet traffic types in Fiji’s networks.
Mr Kamikamica said the taskforce conducted two official meetings in August and December last year, with the next meeting slated for next month.
“In our first official meeting, the taskforce recommended Fiji’s membership in the WeProtect Global Alliance — Global Taskforce on Child Sexual Abuse Online.”
Both the Ministry of Communications and Ministry of Women and Children are expected to represent Fiji at the Global Taskforce on Child Sexual Abuse Online, made up of more than 20 governments.
“Addressing online child sexual abuse and pornography demands a unified approach. This is a collective responsibility that requires the active involvement of every sector of society,” Mr Kamikamica said.
“The National Taskforce, with its diverse representation, is committed to protecting our children and making Fiji a safer digital space. Together, we can win this fight.”
Source: Fiji Times
