Approximately 2,800 complaints have been lodged with the Online Safety Commission about online issues and the highest percentage of reports received were defamatory comments or posts mostly on Facebook.
This makes up 27.16% of the complaints.
43.26% of the complaints deal with issues like harassment, hacking of social media accounts, online scam, family matter and business-related matters.
This was highlighted by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Communications, Manoa Kamikamica while officiating at the Safer Internet Day 20th anniversary.
He also says 21% of young people (19 yrs – 25 yrs) have reported to the Online Safety Commission.
He says the Commission was established under the Online Safety Act 2018 to promote online safety and deter harmful electronic communication and also provide education and awareness raising to Fijian communities, especially parents, schools and law enforcement.
Kamikamica says to date, a total of 1,000 pamphlets and 37,871 booklets on online safety have been distributed in schools and communities in three different languages – English, Fiji-Hindi and i-Taukei.
He says there has been an increase in reports of online scams and just over the weekend there was an article about an online scam which promises large sums of money if one provides their number and other personal information.
Kamikamica has also pleaded with the public not to be duped by these online scams and to refrain from sharing personal information or one-time passwords for money transfer apps such as M-PAISA or MyCash as well-earned money can be lost in a matter of seconds.
