Many New Zealanders Confused About Where To Report Harmful Online Content, Survey

A recent InternetNZ survey has found that only a third of New Zealanders know where to report harmful, dangerous, or concerning online content.

Internet Insights, an annual survey, revealed that only 35% of people know which organisations, websites or agencies to go to if they need to report something. The percentage has dropped for a second year in a row.

InternetNZ Chief Executive, Vivien Maidaborn feels that creating clarity in the current systems would make it more obvious for people to know what to do in such situations.

"I think New Zealand needs a fresh approach for dealing with harmful content online. Reporting of harms is spread across so many different places, so it’s no wonder the number of people who know what to do and where to go is dropping every year." In terms of groups who are suffering the most harm, the survey showed that young people aged 18-29, Māori, and people with disabilities are more likely to have experienced online harm or harassment.

"Because our laws and processes are not adequate for our online world, some communities are experiencing hate, hurt and threats of violence. Minority, marginalised, and at-risk communities disproportionately experience these threats. This needs to change and there needs to be a clear path for people to follow when reporting these harms." Maidaborn believes that gaps in regulation are making this problem worse.

"Government regulating some aspects of the internet should be viewed as an essential part of a modern democracy. We need to start by understanding the issues faced by communities and listen to the people most affected by harmful behaviours online and the groups already working on these issues," says Maidaborn.

11% of New Zealanders report things they’ve seen online that might be harmful or dangerous to Netsafe, while 10% go to Police. The survey results also revealed that women and those aged over 70 are more likely to get advice from friends and whānau about keeping safe and secure online, while 23% of the overall population used Netsafe, and 16% relied on their workplace as the primary source of advice.

The full findings of the Internet Insights research are available on the InternetNZ website here: https://internetnz.nz/internet-insights

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