Shania Shayal Prasad 
Children and young people in Fiji are increasingly at risk of online abuse, including AI-generated images and deepfake content.
Online Safety Commission Prosecutor Joshua Singh states that AI misuse is becoming more advanced, with deepfake videos and voice cloning now targeting minors.
He adds the Commission issues removal notices or works with social media platforms to take down harmful content.
“They’ll go on Google, find a video of you and see how you sound, right. Then they will take your picture, record your voice, add it to the picture and then they’ll turn the picture into a video. So it looks like as if you are speaking, but it’s not you.”
Statistics show around 26 per cent of online harm victims are aged 25 to 34, while six percent are 12 years old or younger.
Ministry of Information Permanent Secretary Eseta Nadakuitavuki points out that online abuse has a serious emotional impact on families.
She urges anyone affected to report incidents quickly and seek help.
“And then we assess whether this case requires removal of the post from Facebook or whether it requires a prosecution by the court system.”
The rise in AI-driven online abuse shows the urgent need to protect children and monitor online spaces carefully.
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