Praneeta Prakash 
The country’s online space is becoming increasingly toxic says Online Safety Commissioner Filipe Batiwale.
Speaking during National Scams Awareness Week, Online Safety Commissioner Filipe Batiwale revealed that from January to September this year, the Commission received 1,200 complaints, almost matching last year’s total of 1,300 cases.
Batiwale says the Commission continues to receive reports of cyberbullying, harmful communication, and online scams highlighting the urgent need for greater digital literacy and responsible online behavior.
“The number of complaints every month keeps on increasing. Like last week, we’ve reached 1,200. And it’s a very toxic online environment right now in Fiji. It’s just an uncontrollable state of harmful communications being exchanged at a level we’ve never seen before. It’s something we don’t see in the offline space.”
He also stresses that many victims choose not to report due to humiliation and trauma, which means the real number of incidents could be far higher.
“There are a lot of cases where people are very ashamed or humiliated through the whole process. They don’t even come forward and make a complaint. It’s too traumatizing for them to even reach out for assistance or support.”
Batiwale stresses that while technology offers vast opportunities, fostering a culture of awareness and responsible online behavior is essential to protect users, especially the youth.
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