The Human Rights Commission of New Zealand, Te Kāhui Tika Tangata, has released a report on how to improve the Code of Practice for managing online harm. This code was developed by Meta, Google, TikTok, Twitch, and another unnamed company. The report was created by an independent group led by Chief Human Rights Commissioner Paul Hunt.
Hunt expressed concern over increasing online harm, including cyberbullying, disinformation, and child pornography. He believes New Zealand’s current laws need to be revised to better address these issues. The group is also looking forward to the government’s plans to establish a framework that protects everyone from online harm.
The main focus of the group was to improve the Code of Practice that the five companies agreed upon last year. The companies, along with Netsafe, contributed to the Aotearoa New Zealand Code of Practice for Online Safety and Harms before signing it in 2022. This voluntary code is managed by NZTech.
The group’s report suggests that the Code of Practice could be improved with a more detailed understanding of New Zealand’s history, demographics, economy, culture, environment, and legal context. It also suggests that the code should clearly explain how it integrates the principles of te Tiriti o Waitangi, a founding document of New Zealand.
The report will be submitted to the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights for consideration. The group hopes that the government and companies will work together to improve online safety for everyone in New Zealand.
