PNG paper advocates draconian social media laws

6:25 am on 14 April 2015

A regional media watchdog has condemned an editorial in Papua New Guinea's National Newspaper calling for strict control measures on social media users.

The paper, which is owned by Malaysian logging giant Rimbuan Hijau, has been widely criticised for the motive behind the editorial.

Jason Brown of the Pacific Freedom Forum says the paper's push suits the PNG government which has been calling for social media limits since 2012.

"I guess it's differrent this time in that it's a member of the media raising the need for the law rather than the government and that raises all sorts of conflict of interest questions about the national newspaper and what their real intent is in having that newspaper."

Restrictions planned by PNG's National Information and Communication Technology Authority include making it an offence for people on social media to use pen-names.

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Facebook Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson