Samoa’s new Ombudsman, Vui Clarence Nelson, has identified the misuse of social media as an issue his office should examine closely, warning that online abuse and irresponsible commentary are damaging relationships, families, churches and children.
Vui raised the issue during his swearing-in ceremony at the Office of the Legislative Assembly on Monday, 27 July 2026. He had originally been expected to take the oath earlier but was overseas completing remaining judicial responsibilities on behalf of Samoa and the Pacific.
During his address, Vui said his absence had been wrongly interpreted by some people on social media as meaning that he had fled and would not return to take up his new position.
He then moved beyond the comments concerning himself and described a much wider problem affecting Samoan society.
“Ou te talitonu, o se tasi lea o mataupu e tatau ona silasila toto’a i ai le Ofisa o le Komesina o Sulufa’iga.”
Translated, Vui said he believed this was one of the matters the Office of the Ombudsman should examine closely.
He spoke of social media being used to create conflict between people and within families. He said churches were also being affected by irresponsible statements, disrespectful behaviour and attacks against people online.
Of particular concern to the new Ombudsman was the effect on children.
“O le tatou lumana’i lena,” he said, describing children as Samoa’s future and warning that what they encounter online can wrongly influence their thinking, feelings and behaviour.
Vui said ways must be found to treat what he described as a social “illness” that had become like an epidemic in Samoa.
His remarks were significant because the Office of the Ombudsman is also Samoa’s National Human Rights Institution. Its responsibilities extend beyond investigating unfair administrative decisions by government agencies. It also conducts research and promotes and protects human rights nationally.
The Office would not ordinarily act as a tribunal for every dispute between private Facebook users. However, it could examine social media harm as a broader human rights and public-interest issue, gather evidence, consult affected communities and recommend changes to government agencies, service providers, schools and other institutions.
A problem Samoa has already identified
Vui’s comments are not the first warning given by the Ombudsman’s Office about internet safety.
The Office’s 2021 State of Human Rights Report examined misinformation, online defamation, cyberbullying, unsafe content and the exposure of children to online abuse. It recommended legislative and non-legislative measures to protect children, continuing online-safety education in schools and greater responsibility from telecommunications and technology providers.
The report also warned against responding with broad internet restrictions that could unnecessarily interfere with freedom of expression. It said restrictions must be necessary, proportionate and balanced against people’s rights to communicate and express legitimate opinions.
Criticism of public officials, disagreement with government decisions and robust political discussion are legitimate parts of a democratic society. They should not automatically be treated as abuse merely because the comments are uncomfortable or strongly expressed.
The more serious problems include deliberate impersonation, threats, harassment, the publication of private information, repeated targeting of individuals, sexual exploitation, fabricated allegations presented as facts and attacks directed at children.
What an Ombudsman examination could consider
An inquiry could begin by determining the scale and nature of online harm in Samoa instead of relying only on individual high-profile incidents.
Schools, churches, village representatives, women’s organisations, journalists, youth groups, telecommunications companies, Police, the Office of the Regulator and people harmed by online attacks could be invited to provide evidence.
The examination could look at whether Samoa has clear and accessible procedures for reporting impersonation, threats, cyberbullying, intimate images, child exploitation and deliberately fabricated material.
It could also determine whether international companies operating platforms in Samoa provide adequate moderation in the Samoan language and whether local users can obtain urgent assistance when harmful material is spreading.
Samoa’s National Cybersecurity Strategy for 2025/26 to 2030/31 acknowledges that the country does not yet have an established legal framework covering cybersecurity, online safety, critical information infrastructure and personal data protection. Existing cyber-related offences are instead contained in different laws, including the Crimes Act 2013.
The strategy proposes legal reforms, targeted public education and consideration of age restrictions for social media. It also recognises cyberbullying, online sexual exploitation, threats, incitement, identity theft and exposure to harmful content as areas requiring attention.
Vui cautioned that Samoa should not simply copy restrictions introduced by other countries. Any approach must recognise Samoa’s own culture, family structure, villages, churches, language and social conditions.
Read the full address by Ombudsman Vui Clarence Nelson
Full swearing-in address
Address delivered by Vui Clarence Nelson following his swearing-in as Samoa’s Ombudsman.
Saunoaga i le gagana Samoa
Ia, ou te talitonu ua ona pae alago ia le paia sausau gāta le tatou mafutaga ma le tatou taeao.
E lē toe tavaevaeina ese faamatalaga, aua o Samoa o le atunuu tofi. O le fale foʻi o pō ma ao. Ua soo lona taiao ma i tulutulu tao. Faataalolo la paia ia. A o lenei aso, o le fagatonu le malama ma vili ifi a maina, ma agai se manatu e tusa o le tatou faamoemoe.
Le susu o lau susuga o le taitai o lenei sauniga, faapea le aufaigaluega totofi a le Atua. Aemaise o si aʻu fanau faalesitala o Poasa, Leitupu ma Latu, faafetai le afifio mai seʻi tulou tou tofiga mamalu.
E faatulou i le afio o lau afioga i le Tama o Aiga, le sui o le Fono a Sui Tofia, lau afioga i le Tui Atua, Uncle Tupuola Efi, ma le faletua ia Filifilia.
Afio lau afioga i le Palemia, lau afioga Laaulialemalietoa, tainane le mamalu o Minisita o le Kapeneta. Afio foʻi lau afioga i le Fofoga Fetalai, lau tofa Auapaau Mulipola, ia ma sui o le Palemene o Samoa.
Aemaise le afio o le mamalu o le Ofisa o Faamasinoga, ae maise o nai oʻu uso ma tuafafine ua tele tausaga sa matou galulue punonou aua se manuia o Samoa.
Afio foʻi tatou paaga masani, ma sui mai malo i fafo ma le mamalu o le diplomatic corps ua mafai ona tatou faatasi i lenei taeao.
E faapea le aia o le lasilasi o Samoa ua aofaga ma potopoto i aiga ma uo ma ē ua masani i le maota nei ma le live stream o le Facebook.
Faafetai i lau saunoaga matagofie, lau afioga i le alii faifeau. Ia, e lē iloa po o se faasatauro lenei tofiga, ae ou te talitonu e leai. Ua faia e lo tatou Matai Sili lenei aso, tatou te fiafia ma olioli ai, aua o tofiga uma lava e mai i le Atua.
E lē tau fesiligia, ua valaauina ai lenei tagata faatauvaa e faaauau se tautua mo le atunuu.
E ao ona ou faamalulu atu i lau afioga i le alii Palemia, ma lau afioga i le Fofoga o le Fono, faapea foʻi le paia ma le mamalu o sasao nei, ona o loʻu lē auai i le taimi sa faatapulaa mo lenei faatautoga.
Ona sa ou faimalaga i nuu i fafo e faamaea nai tiute faafaamasino, e fai aʻu ma sui o Samoa ma le Pasefika.
A ua avea foʻi lea mea, ua ou maitauina, ma tulaga ua faauiga sese foʻi e nisi i luga o le social media, e faapea: “O le la foʻi ua sola Vui, ae lē sau e fai lana galuega.”
O se tasi lenei o faafitauli ua aafia ai le aia tatau ma le nofo fealofani o tagata o le tatou atunuu: o le faaaoga sese o le social media ma aupega tafai lagi e faatupu vevesi ai i le va o tagata ma totonu o aiga.
E oo foʻi i ekalesia ua aafia i faamatalaga soona lafo ma uiga lē migao ma le popoi o tagata i luga o le social media.
Ae maise ua aafia atu ai ma le fanau iti. O le tatou lumanai lena, ma taitai sese ai o latou mafaufau, ma latou lagoa ma latou amioga.
Ou te talitonu, o se tasi lenei o mataupu e tatau ona silasila totoʻa i ai le Ofisa o le Komesina o Sulufaiga.
E saili ni auala e fofo ai le gasegase lea, ua pei o se faamai i Samoa i lenei vaitau.
E tele foʻi nisi vaega o le soifuaga manuia o tagata o le atunuu e tatau ona agai i ai se sailiiliga ma galuega a le ofisa, tou afioga.
Ou te fiafia ua ou tagai atu o lea e afio mai le tamaitai Minisita o Tupe. Mo se paketi o le a faataatia atu e le matou ofisa, faamolemole, talia loa ma pasia.
O le tatou galuega, ou te talitonu, o le tou lagolagosua mai i taumafaiga uma a lenei ofisa o le a taumafai i ai.
O le tatou galuega foʻi, e pei ona saunoa le taitai, e faifai faatasi mo le manuia o Samoa, e ala i le Atua i lona alofa.
Ou te faafetai foʻi i lau afioga i le Ao Mamalu o le Malo. I lau faautautaga ua talia aloaia ai le fautuaga a le Palemene o Samoa mo le tofiaina o lenei tagata faatauvaa.
Faafetai i lau afioga i le Palemia ma le mamalu o sui uma o le Fono Aoao Faitulafono.
Ou te tautino atu, o tiute ma matafaioi e pei ona folasia mai e le Faavae ma le Tulafono, o le a ou taumafai i le mea e gata ai le mafai e faatino, e tusa ai ma musumusuga a le Agaga Paia, ia ma le Tusi lea na fai ai laʻu tautoga i lenei taeao.
E momoli atu foʻi laʻu faafetai tele i oʻu aiga, oʻu uo ma ē masani, mo a latou tatalo ma tou tapuaiga.
O lea ua maea le tautua sa faia mo le Faamasinoga a Samoa, a o lea ua toe tatala mai e le Silisili Ese le isi faitotoa e faaauauina ai saʻu auaunaga mo le tatou atunuu.
E momoli atu laʻu faafetai faapitoa i si aʻu manamea, si oʻu toalua. Ua tele tausaga o pologa lenei fafine ia te aʻu, ma si aʻu fanau, mo la outou lagolagosua mo le galuega.
E pei ona saunoa le alii faifeau, na o le Alii Faaola na te silafia le faigata, o le tulaga o le tou onosai ma le tou lavapapale.
E avatu foʻi malu i puega i tou paia ma le tou mamalu pe afai ua sasi se faamatalaga, ua lē atoa se sao i la outou silasila.
E iai lava le talitonuga, lafo i nuu lē aina e pei o le tatou upu masani. Faamagalo mai so matou vaivai.
English-language address
For our non-Samoan-speaking audience, both here and online, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to witness this event. I am humbled and honoured by your presence.
In particular, I wish to acknowledge our donor partners, who have assisted the Office of the Ombudsman in the past and continue to support us today.
This is exemplified by the ongoing presence in the office of two Australian volunteers, Rachel and Lisa, under the Australian Volunteers Program. I am still trying to become familiar with everyone’s names.
As we all know, human rights and good governance are not new concepts. They go back to the time of the Greeks and Romans, who believed in citizenship and representative government.
They are also reflected in documents such as England’s Magna Carta of 1215 and in the actions of the first king of Persia, from what is now Iran, who invaded Babylon and, according to the Book of Daniel in the Bible, freed the Jewish people from captivity and declared that all people were equal and free to choose their own religion.
These are among the concepts upon which the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Samoa incorporated these principles into our Constitution when we became a sovereign and independent nation in 1962.
When you ask what the Office of the Ombudsman does, its work is based on good governance and human rights. Those are its foundation stones.
You are probably also correct that not many people know what the office does. That is going to change, starting today.
We will work to ensure that the people of Samoa have a better understanding of what we do. We will always zealously protect their rights as citizens of this country and as people of God.
There are many modern challenges. Protecting children and other vulnerable groups from the dangers of the internet is a major concern.
Some countries are now limiting children’s access to the internet. This is something we need to consider very carefully because we cannot simply take what other countries do and apply it here.
Samoa is its own country, with its own social structure, and we must always remain conscious of that.
We are also aware of the continuing high rate of sexual and other forms of violence against women and girls. From my time as a judge in the building next door, I know how horrific this violence can be.
We also know that we must secure for future generations the right to health and an adequate standard of living in this country.
This includes the right to a healthy environment and protection from harm caused by climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and the emerging threat of seabed mining in the Pacific.
It is already occurring near American Samoa, and I assure you that it will eventually reach our shores and affect our country.
I apologise in advance to our donor partners. I will be a pest to you. I will annoy you, and I will keep knocking on your doors for assistance until you open them, because the Bible says, “Knock, and the door shall be opened unto you.”
With your guidance, the office will seek to work together with you to create a better Samoa, a better Pacific and, indeed, a better world.
I think Michael Jackson said it best: “If you care enough for the living, make a little space. Make it a better place for you and for me.”
God bless.
