During the parliamentary debate this week on the Harmful Digital Communications (Amendment) Bill 2024, Leader of Opposition Ishmael Kalsakau made a striking statement — he argued that service providers, including group administrators and page owners on social media, should be held responsible for fake accounts operating under their platforms.

Kalsakau said that while the Digital Safety Authority (DSA) is being established to enforce online safety, more responsibility should also fall on those who manage or host digital spaces where harmful communication happens. According to him, the rise of fake accounts and anonymous profiles spreading misinformation and personal attacks has become a national concern, and group admins or page owners should take proactive measures to verify users and moderate their content.

The Opposition Leader’s remarks were made in response to increasing incidents of online bullying, fake profiles, and defamation on platforms such as Facebook — particularly in large Vanuatu-based groups.

However, his comment also sparked quiet amusement and debate among some MPs and observers, with a few pointing out that group admins and page owners do not have the technical capacity to verify identities in the same way that global platforms like Facebook or Instagram can. In most cases, these admins are simply volunteers or small business owners using free social media tools, not licensed service providers.

Digital experts also noted that under the Harmful Digital Communications Act, it is already possible for victims to report harmful content to the Digital Safety Authority, which can issue takedown notices or cooperate with platforms for investigation. The Act does not, however, make ordinary admins or page managers legally liable for every post made by their members.

As one ICT practitioner commented, “You can’t expect a Facebook group admin in Port Vila to verify passports or IDs of every member online — that’s the job of the platform, not the user.”

Still, Kalsakau’s statement underscores a growing concern in Parliament about how Vanuatu should balance freedom of expression and online safety, especially as the country prepares to roll out its Digital Safety Authority (DSA) in 2025.