Children 17 years and under will soon be banned from accessing pornography online after the National Taskforce to Address Pornography decided to undertake the formation of proposed laws to restrict the said age from accessing pornography.
The Taskforce convened its second meeting this week where the Ministry for Women, Children and Social Protection, as co-chair, presented with UNFPA chief gender advisor Dr Leigh-Ashley the Gender Analysis of the Online Safety Act, as well as a presentation by Director Children Arieta Tagivetaua on the offences of creating, possessing and trafficking of child pornography materials under the Child Care and Protection Act 2024.
The meeting, which was also Co-chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Communications, External Trade, Cooperatives, and SMEs, Manoa Kamikamica, centred on addressing the growing concern of pornography access and its detrimental effects on children.
The Ministry for Children says key agenda items included exploring measures to restrict children’s access to pornographic content, developing actionable strategies to reduce pornography consumption and presentations from three working groups focusing on policy and legislation, survivor support and empowerment, and technology-based responses.
They say the Taskforce also gained insights from Australia’s experience in addressing pornography.
It says discussions highlighted the need to address gaps in the current legal framework, develop new policies to confront the issue effectively and provide robust support systems for survivors of pornography-related abuse.
The meeting reinforced the collective commitment of all stakeholders to protect children and create a safer online environment for all.
