Safer Internet Day: Reducing online harm

8th February is Safer Internet Day, an international event celebrated by more than 150 countries and aimed at encouraging and promoting a better online experience for everyone.

Netsafe is the official organising committee of Safer Internet Day in New Zealand, and started coordinating the event in 2014. In 2021 a record number of supporters joining together to promote Safer Internet Day and help people have a more positive time online.

Founded in 1998, Netsafe is an independent, non-profit online safety organisation providing free and confidential online advice and support to people in New Zealand seven days a week. They answer about 450 requests weekly for help related to online safety topics, including bullying, grooming, illegal content and scams.

When a member of the public makes a report, a member of the Netsafe team determines if the report relates to the Harmful Digital Communications Act (HDCA) or another online safety area.

If Netsafe believes that the report may relate to the HDCA, a member of their team contacts the complainant to understand more about what has happened, advise on what resolution options may be available and outline how they can help resolve the harm.

Harmful Digital Communications Act

The HDCA was passed in 2015 to help people dealing with serious or repeated harmful digital communications. It covers any harmful digital communications (such as text, emails or social media content) that includes racist, sexist and religiously intolerant comments – and harmful comments about disabilities or sexual orientation.

The Act includes 10 communication principles that provide guidance on how to communicate online. Specifically, a digital communication should not: 1. disclose sensitive personal facts about an individual 2. be threatening, intimidating, or menacing 3. be grossly offensive to a reasonable person in the position of the affected individual 4. be indecent or obscene 5. be used to harass an individual 6. make a false allegation 7. contain a matter that is published in breach of confidence 8. incite or encourage anyone to send a message to an individual for the purpose of causing harm to the individual 9. incite or encourage an individual to commit suicide 10.denigrate an individual by reason of colour, race, ethnic or national origins, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disability

Netsafe’s role under the HDCA

Netsafe is responsible for helping resolve reports related to alleged breaches of the HDCA’s 10 communication principles. Some of the things they can do include: • liaise with website hosts, ISPs and other content hosts (in NZ and overseas) and request them to takedown or moderate posts that are clearly offensive • resolve complaints via advice, negotiation, mediation and persuasion (as appropriate) • inform people about their options if they wish to apply to the District Court

For those cases Netsafe is unable to resolve, the complainant may apply to the District Court for a takedown order against the author or host of the allegedly harmful content (having tried to resolve the matter with Netsafe first). Netsafe provides a Netsafe Summary that the complainant can take to the District Court to demonstrate that they have been through the reporting process.

To find out more about Netsafe and Safer Internet Day, visit; www.netsafe.org.nz.