Women and youth bearing brunt of online abuse, says PS Information

Phones are no longer communication tools, they are newsrooms, marketplaces, classrooms and public forums all in one.

This is the message from Permanent Secretary for Information Eseta Nadakuitavuki at the Digital Media Literacy Training held at the Holiday Inn in Suva. 

More than 30 participants from different organisations attended the training organised by Dialogue Fiji, aimed at promoting safer and more responsible online engagement.

Nadakuitavuki says the rapid growth of digital and social media platforms in Fiji had transformed how people access information, communicate, conduct business and participate in civic life.

However, she warns that the same platforms also carry significant risks.

She says we are seeing the growing spread of misinformation and disinformation, and we are witnessing cyberbullying, hate speech, impersonation, AI-generated manipulated content and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images. 

She stresses these are not just digital challenges but human ones, affecting real people, families and communities. 

She says women, young people and vulnerable groups, often bear the heaviest burden.

Nadakuitavuki also raises concerns about the rise in online financial scams, phishing schemes and the misuse of digital payment platforms, noting that such practices erode public trust and threaten financial security.

Drawing from her previous experience in the banking sector, she says digital media literacy can no longer be treated as optional.

She urges participants to think critically before engaging online, to verify information before sharing it and to understand that freedom of expression comes with responsibility.