3000 fake government Facebook accounts removed
Since 2020, 3000 fake government social media accounts and fake news have been pulled down by a government agency.
Minister for Information and Communication Technology Timothy Masiu said on Thursday when addressing the AIBD/European Union seminar.
With the theme “Transcending Disinformation: Towards Responsible Media Consumption,” he said the power of the media in shaping societal narratives and perceptions cannot be underestimated.
“Unlike in the past, today there is just too much information, and just too many gadgets.
“The media can be a tool to support the development agenda. On the other hand, we all know the consequences if it is abused.
“In this digital era, where information flows freely and rapidly, the ethical responsibility of disseminating the truth becomes ever more crucial.” Mr Masiu said
He said PNG has taken proactive steps to address some of these concerns.
He said two of PNG’s “appropriate actions” towards addressing the global issue of misinformation and disinformation were the introduction of a Government Social Media Management Desk, and the introduction of the Media Development Policy.
“This desk now facilitates the take-down of fake government accounts, which usually takes an average two-three hours.
“Meta (Facebook) has also customised a reporting module for us to report and request take down.
Minister Masiu push for more training opportunity for NBC staff in Malaysia
Mr. Masiu also held discussions with his Malaysia counterpart, Ahmad Fadzil on training and capacity-building opportunities for National Broadcasting Corporation staff.
“I met with the Malaysian Minister for Communication here in Kuala Lumpur and we agreed for NBC to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) as soon as possible.
“Both Minister Fadzil and I agreed that the MoU must be signed promptly to formalise our commitment on training and capacity-building at the RTM.”
Mr. Masiu said the RTM training proposal is separate to the training opportunities being discussed with the Asia Pacific Institute of Broadcasting Development (AIBD), also based in Malaysia.
“I have made a particular request to the AIBD to partner with the NBC on content development and acquisition, billing systems, and other training and capacity-building.
“NBC must train and re-train our staff in all facets of broadcasting,” Mr Masiu said.
The Minister said he has tasked the NBC Managing Director to immediately liaise with the RTM and AIBD to finalise and sign these two MoUs.
Meanwhile, Minister Masiu has cautioned the media in the Asia-Pacific region that the exponential growth of ICT and rapid flow of information can also easily be altered to become mis-formation or dis-information.