The Online Safety Act 2018 remains in effect to shield individuals from harmful content on social media. However, there is a pressing need to adequately fund the Online Safety Commission (OSC) to ensure it can fulfill its responsibilities.
Prominent Suva lawyer Jon Apted highlighted this in light of an alleged cyberbullying incident that might have led to a tragic loss of life yesterday.
Apted pointed out that the first Commissioner, Anne Dunn, had initially made significant strides in raising public awareness and establishing the Commission’s relationships with the police and social media platforms. Nevertheless, after her resignation, the Commission’s visibility and awareness of the Online Safety Act seemed to have diminished.
“There appears to be a considerable gap in public awareness and enforcement of the law, though I’m not sure about the budget,” said Apted.
He emphasized the need for the government to reinvigorate the Commission by providing it with sufficient human and financial resources to perform its duties, especially in light of the recent tragic events.
An appropriately qualified director must be appointed to lead the OSC. Apted also mentioned that the Commission had the authority to communicate with social media platforms to issue takedown orders, stressing the importance of adequate staffing and funding to protect mental health and children’s safety.
While the law itself doesn’t need to be amended, Apted underlined the necessity of properly resourcing the OSC to conduct public education and enforce the law.
“The Commission must enhance its awareness programs and visibly enforce the law so that the public understands the repercussions of their actions,” he added.