Tuesday 1st September, 2026
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Office of Censorship have started work on the laws needed to put the Social Media Policy 2025 into practice.
The policy was endorsed by Cabinet and is aimed at making social media safer, especially for children and young people.
DICT Secretary Steven Matainaho said the work will look at how different social media platforms should be grouped based on what they offer and the risks they may have for children and other vulnerable people.
The Government is also looking at age limits for some platforms.
This means some social media platforms could have age restrictions if they are found to pose a higher risk to children.
Matainaho said the main focus now is to put clear rules around the digital space and give children and young people better protection when they are online.
He said people should be free to use digital platforms, but that freedom should also come with responsibility.
DICT and the Office of Censorship are working with their senior policy officers to develop the legal framework.
The work will need to answer important questions, including which platforms should have age limits, how those limits would work and what responsibilities social media companies may have.
The Government has not yet announced the specific age limits or how they would be checked.
The work comes as social media becomes a normal part of daily life in Papua New Guinea. People use platforms to communicate, share news, run businesses, learn and keep in touch with others.
At the same time, children can be exposed to content and online behaviour that may not be suitable for their age.
The new rules are intended to deal with some of these concerns while still allowing people to use social media.
For DICT and the Office of Censorship, the next step is to develop the laws that will support the Social Media Policy 2025 and set out how the rules will work.
The Government’s aim is to create a digital space where people can use online services freely while children and young people have better protection.