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Sogavare informed the national parliament on Monday that the temporary ban, which has yet to be implemented, aims to « unite » the South Pacific nation by curbing online abuse and harassment.
« We have a duty to foster national unity and the happy coexistence of our people . . . [Facebook] is undermining efforts to unite this country, « said the prime minister. He accused Facebook of enabling widespread cyberbullying, stating that people can be « defamed » and their reputation can be destroyed by anonymous users.
He insisted that his government was trying to protect young people from « hideous » language and was not motivated by a desire to curb open expression.
Once introduced, the ban will remain in place until laws can be passed that regulate the interactions and behavior of citizens on the social media platform.
It is still unclear how the temporary ban will be enforced. The government is still deciding whether to use a firewall or some other method to block Facebook in the country.
The move announced last week to blacklist the website has sparked conviction among politicians and human rights groups. Opposition leader Matthew Wale dismissed Sogavare’s defense of the ban as « pathetic », saying the reasons for the restriction were « not weighty enough ». ”
When the ban was unveiled on Jan.. November Communication Minister Peter Shanel Agovaka cited « abusive language against ministers and prime ministers » and « defamation of character », leading to allegations that the government was launching a brazen attack on freedom of expression.
Facebook was previously in the crosshairs of the governments of the Pacific Islands. In May 2018, Papua New Guinea introduced a month-long ban on the platform over alleged concerns about fake user profiles.
More recently, in July, Samoa’s Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said he was considering a Facebook ban because users of the website had made defamatory comments on him.
Manasseh Sogavare, Facebook, Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, Government
World News – CA – Solomon Islands Prime Minister defends Facebook temporary ban, claims platform threatens « national unity »
Ref: https://www.rt.com
