The Government will use its newly launched Sevis PNG digital identity platform to help identify and track users behind fake Facebook accounts and online abuse, Acting Information and Communication Technology Minister Peter Tsiamalili Jr told Parliament yesterday.
Responding to concerns raised by Wewak MP Stanley Samban, Mr. Tsiamalili said the National Digital ID system would strengthen efforts to enforce cybercrime laws by improving the ability of authorities to verify the identities of social media users involved in online harassment, misinformation and defamation.
Related news: https://news.pngfacts.com/2026/06/png-digital-id-to-help-track-fake.html
Mr. Samban told Parliament that the growing use of fake and fraudulent social media accounts was undermining public discourse, personal safety and social cohesion, and called for stronger measures to address anonymous online abuse.
He said the issue had escalated beyond healthy democratic debate and now involved cyberbullying, character assassination and misinformation targeting ordinary citizens, vulnerable individuals and national leaders.
Mr. Samban said many members of Parliament and their families had become victims of online abuse and sought an update on measures being taken to curb fake accounts on platforms such as Facebook.
He also asked about enforcement of the Cybercrime Code Act 2016, cooperation with international technology companies, and support available for victims of online harassment.
“I stand here as one of the victims. I am not on Facebook, but plenty of fake accounts have been created under my name and have damaged my reputation as a national leader,” he said.
Responding, Mr. Tsiamalili said one of the biggest challenges faced by authorities was identifying the individuals behind social media accounts.
He revealed that during a visit to Meta’s regional headquarters in Sydney in late 2025, he proposed that Facebook users in Papua New Guinea be required to register using a Papua New Guinea driver’s license or National Identification card.
“The discussions with Meta is that they find it for us when we recommended to Meta that for us to better manage the identity of our Facebook users, we would like for you to impose as a prerequisite in registering online if you could use either a driver’s license of PNG or an NID of PNG,” he said.
Mr. Tsiamalili said Meta responded that privacy laws made such a requirement difficult to implement.
However, he said the Government has since launched the Sevis PNG Digital ID system, a national digital identity and government services platform managed by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
The platform allows citizens to create a secure digital identity using biometric verification, including fingerprint and facial recognition technology, through the Sevis Pass digital credential system.
“The idea on digital ID or digital pass is that you can immediately register yourself as a citizen of PNG through your fingerprint and your facial recognition and it will give you immediately your digital pass,” he said.
Mr. Tsiamalili said he had recently recommended that Facebook users in Papua New Guinea use the Digital ID system as part of future account verification processes.
He added that the initiative would also be integrated into the telecommunications sector, with the National Information and Communications Technology Authority (NICTA) working with operators to incorporate Digital ID into SIM card registration systems.
“Just yesterday I met with our biggest telco Digicel, and they are already now working through a committee to now work towards ensuring that now they incorporate our digital ID into the telco and SIM card users,” he said.
According to the Minister, the Digital ID system will improve the ability of regulators and law enforcement agencies to identify users responsible for online abuse, including those attempting to conceal their identities through multiple phone numbers or other means.
“What the digital ID will do is that it will single you out because it will capture your biometric plus your fingerprint and will pin you down to a single number,” he said.
Mr. Tsiamalili said the Digital ID initiative was designed to address a long-standing obstacle to enforcement efforts — the inability to accurately identify social media users involved in online abuse and misinformation.
He encouraged members of Parliament and the public to download and register for the Sevis PNG Digital ID application, which is available on both Android and Apple devices.
The Sevis PNG platform also provides access to government digital services, including Sevis Pass digital identity credentials, Sevis Wallet, e-Police Clearance applications and other identity verification services.