The United States National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported receiving 3,638 suspected child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) reports from Fiji in 2023. Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica disclosed this information during a parliamentary update on the National Taskforce to Address Pornography.
Kamikamica explained that the NCMEC’s Cyber Tip Line serves as the US’s primary resource for leads on child exploitation, with electronic service providers in the country legally required to report such incidents. The majority of the reports come from these service providers, including Meta, Google, and TikTok, while a smaller fraction is submitted by the public.
He emphasized the need for Fijian law enforcement to investigate these cyber tip reports, noting ongoing discussions with both NCMEC and the Fiji Police Force, supported by the US government for necessary training.
Kamikamica also called on parents, guardians, and communities to be cautious about the sharing of images and videos of children online. He highlighted the importance of avoiding uploads of inappropriate images, cautioning that once such content is online, it could be exploited by malicious individuals in harmful ways. He urged collective efforts to protect children in both physical and digital environments.