Chief censor warns PNG to protect values as nation moves into digital era

The Office of Censorship is responsible for moral standards, decency, restrictions, and deciding what content is allowed in public media.

Chief Censor Jim Abani said this during an interactive session on Digital Skills and Cyber Safety on Day 3 of the Digital Transformation Summit 2025 at the Stanley Hotel in Port Moresby.

He explained that the Office of Censorship is under the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Religion. Its main roles are to check and rate movies and to classify content for public use.

Mr. Abani said that in the past, the office mainly censored physical materials such as publications and videos.

“This summit is about where censorship is going to fit in during the digital transformation era – and that is our challenge,” he said.

He said the biggest challenge now is moving from physical censoring to digital censoring, but the core work of classification remains the same.

The office works under the Classification of Publications (Censorship) Act of 1989. This law is now being reviewed and is in its final stages so it can cover both online and offline content.

Mr. Abani stressed the need to protect Papua New Guinea’s traditional and Christian values, even as technology continues to grow.

“We must continue to uphold the Christian values that we have. We live in a digital space but never forget that we must maintain our preambles of the constitution,” he said.

He said the current law does not mention anything about online content, but a new provision has now been created to address this.

Mr. Abani added that with the rise of online content, it is becoming harder for authorities to control and monitor information, especially on social media platforms like Facebook.

He said misinformation is common in PNG and can be dangerous to peace and national security.

He thanked DICT and other government agencies for helping to regulate online content and prevent harmful material from spreading.

Mr. Abani ended the session by saying that freedom of expression must be used responsibly. He reminded the audience that censorship starts at home.