The cabinet of the government of the Solomon Islands has decided to enact a ban on the world’s biggest social networking site, Facebook. The submission for the ban was introduced by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and the Communication and Civil Aviation Minister Peter Shanel Agovaka.
Agovaka told the Solomon Times that the ban was due to “abusive languages against ministers, Prime Minister, character assassination, defamation of character”. Noting that there were no laws or regulations governing Facebook, he said there was a need for a temporary ban.
While Agovaka has said that press freedom would remain intact in the Solomon Islands, critics feel the ban was an attack on freedom of expression.
During the riots in Honiara in 2019 following the general election, Facebook—which the Australian Instiute of International Affairs dubbed the “number one” social media site in the islands and which The Guardian says is a primary means of communication of many—was a site for much of the dissent against the government.
Another factor is believed to be China: IN September last year, the Solomon Islands severed its ties with Taiwan. Now, it appears to follow in China’s footsteps with the ban on Facebook.
According to the Solomon Times, Agovaka says the government is still planning how it can enact the ban, saying operators will need to “establish a firewall to block Facebook”.
