Last year, Fiji recorded a total of 3,638 cases of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), as revealed by Minister for Communications Manoa Kamikamica in Parliament today. He noted that web traffic to pornographic sites in Fiji ranks among the top ten globally.
Kamikamica expressed concern that while the internet is a powerful tool for progress, it has also enabled cyber criminals and created opportunities for predators to exploit children. He described online child sexual abuse as an extension of the existing threat of child sexual abuse.
According to Kamikamica, the alarming statistics surrounding these issues underscore their pervasive nature and significant societal impact. Ensuring the safety of individuals both online and offline is a priority, he said.
He highlighted that adult content and pornography have a substantial presence in Fiji, accounting for more network traffic than other online services. In the previous year, 245 electronic service providers submitted over 35 million reports of suspected CSAM on their platforms, with Fiji contributing a concerning 3,638 cases.
In 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received the same number of suspected CSAM reports from Fiji. Kamikamica mentioned that a key initiative involves law enforcement investigating these reports, and discussions are ongoing with NCMEC and the Fiji Police Force, with assistance from the U.S. Government, to provide necessary training for law enforcement.
The next meeting of the National Taskforce is scheduled for November, where working groups will present their findings to effectively tackle the issues of pornography and sexual abuse.