Samoa

National Digital Identification Act 2024 Assented: Legislation providing for a national digital identification system and protection of personal data, with provisions against collecting biometric data of persons under 18, but not directly regulating adult content.

Public Nudity Not Legally Accepted: A blog post confirmed that public nudity, including on beaches, is not legally accepted in Samoa due to conservative laws and cultural norms regarding public decency.

Samoa Agreement Adopted for Data Protection and AI: The EU Member States and the Organisation of the African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) adopted a legal framework addressing data protection and AI, mandating the establishment of legal and regulatory regimes for data protection in Samoa.

Supreme Court Judge Calls for Mandatory ISP Blocking of Pornography: Supreme Court Justice Tologata Leilani Tuala-Warren called on MPs to consider legislation to regulate internet providers in Samoa to make blocking of pornography and harmful internet content mandatory, noting that there was no statutory obligation for ISPs to do so at the time.

Film 'Rocketman' Banned: The country's Censorship Board banned the film 'Rocketman' from being shown in cinema, describing it as depicting 'acts that are not good for public viewing and against the law'.

Telecommunications Regulator Emphasizes Protection of Children from Pornography: The country's telecommunications regulator stated that it is the responsibility of all Samoans to ensure young people are protected from internet pornography.

Government Calls for Temporary Facebook Ban: The Government made calls for Facebook to be banned temporarily in response to what it saw as inappropriate or unprincipled use of social media and the internet, including defamatory remarks.

Computer and Cybercrime Act 2016 Effective: Legislation addressing offenses relating to obscene or harmful matter specifically in the context of computer systems and online distribution.

Crimes Act 2013 Effective: Primary legislative framework addressing cybercrime, including provisions criminalizing unauthorized access to computer systems, fraud, malicious software, and exploitation of children through online platforms (e.g., child pornography, online grooming).

Film 'The Da Vinci Code' Banned: The government censorship office banned the film 'The Da Vinci Code' from local television and cinemas, and prohibited its sale/rental, based on objections from the Samoa Council of Churches.

Telecommunications Act 2005 Enacted: Established a new legislative framework for the telecommunications sector, including provisions for telecommunications and computer offenses that could be broadly applied to harmful online content.