Meg Tapia
At the first Disinfo Pacific Conference in Brisbane this month, a striking contrast emerged between European and Pacific approaches to combating disinformation. While Europe has moved towards regulatory frameworks focusing on behavioural patterns and social media platform accountability, the Pacific region is largely focused on hyper-local resilience building.
That disinformation is a problem in paradise might come as a surprise to many. But the reality is that disinformation is just as prevalent across the Pacific as elsewhere in the world.
The Pacific Islands Forum has said that political instability, governance challenges, and limited resources continue to undermine democratic systems in the Pacific. Misinformation, disinformation, and foreign interference are making matters worse, further threatening regional sovereignty, social cohesion, and the stability of electoral systems.
Suddenly, everything was happening online. From live election results to government announcements, Facebook was the place to be.
This wasn’t always the case. Prior to 2017, social media uptake was sluggish. But the completion of submarine cable projects and telecommunication infrastructure investment by regional and international organisations drove a surge in social media uptake between 2017 and 2020. Cheap smartphone penetration alongside more affordable data plans meant countries such as Fiji, Nauru, Tuvalu, Samoa, and Marshall Islands experienced a rapid uptake in internet connectivity. Today, about 80 per cent of these countries’ populations are online – well above the global average.
Suddenly, everything was happening online. From live election results to government announcements, Facebook was the place to be. Despite virtuous efforts to improve digital connectivity – to lessen inequality and promote economic development – the dangers posed to the Pacific way of life became evident during the Covid-19 pandemic. Misinformation from outside the region, home-grown created or reconfigured information reflecting local traditions, biases, and beliefs, conspiracy theories, and harassment undermined information integrity and online safety.
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