NICTA Begins Internet Content Filtering Enforcement

The National Information and Communications Technology Authority (NICTA) has started enforcing internet content filtering measures across Papua New Guinea following a directive issued by ICT Minister Hon. Peter Tsiamalili Jr..
In a media release issued in Port Moresby on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, NICTA confirmed that the enforcement will be carried out in phases under National Executive Council Decision No. 265/2023. The decision relates to filtering and restricting access to content classified as unsuitable online.
NICTA said it has formally instructed all licensed Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to comply with the directive under the special conditions of their individual licences issued under the NICT Act 2009. Providers have been given 14 days to respond to the compliance notice.

The authority also confirmed that a separate 30-day compliance instruction has been issued to ISPs, including wholesale provider PNG DataCo Limited, directing them to remove unsuitable content from their networks.
According to NICTA, the initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the Office of Censorship and the Department of Information and Communication Technology under a whole-of-government approach led by Acting ICT Minister Peter Tsiamalili Jr.
The enforcement program will initially target five categories of prohibited online content: pornography and sexually explicit material, violent content, hate speech and discrimination, substance abuse-related material, and illegal online activities.
NICTA stated that its latest compliance measures strengthen existing efforts under the Restricted Content framework, with particular attention on pornography and explicit material, while the Office of Censorship will continue addressing the remaining categories through established procedures.
The authority also warned reseller licensees that regulatory compliance requirements do not remove obligations relating to upstream wholesale network resilience. It further noted that Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) satellite operators operating in the country will also be required to comply with the directive.
NICTA said show-cause notices would be issued under Section 244 to operators and licensees that fail to comply with the directive within the specified timeframe.
Meanwhile, the Office of Censorship will provide monthly reports to NICTA outlining the classification methodology and updates relating to the removal and addition of restricted content.
At the end of the 30-day implementation period, a Technical Working Group is expected to submit a final compliance report to Minister Tsiamalili detailing the progress of the nationwide internet content filtering rollout.

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