Tech News – Do you know where to report concerning content you see online?

New research shows that only 4 out of 10 New Zealanders know where to report harmful content they see online.

Research commissioned by InternetNZ, and undertaken by Kantar Public, reveals that only 42% of people say they know where to report something they’ve seen online that might be harmful or dangerous.

These numbers drop the older people are, with 33% of those aged 50-69 say they know where to report content and only 25% for those over the age of 70.

InternetNZ Chief Executive, Vivien Maidaborn, says the systems we have for dealing with harmful, dangerous and potentially illegal content online are not working for communities.

“Reporting of harms is spread across different organisations and it’s very hard for people to know where to go.

“Too often, the agencies that do take and respond to reports of harmful online content, like dangerous speech, do not have clear powers to act on these reports. This leaves people facing harms online with no remedy and no official way to get support,” says Maidaborn.

Dangerous speech is any form of expression, like speech, text, or images, that increases the risk that its audience will condone or participate in violence against other people.

“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 now.

“We hope the government’s review of the content regulatory system will find new approaches to content regulation that minimises the harms caused by content like dangerous speech. New and improved law could also encourage platforms to incorporate safety measures for users.

“For this review and any proposed law changes to be effective, it needs to start by understanding the issues faced by communities. We need to listen to the people most affected by harmful behaviours online and the groups already working on these issues,” says Maidaborn.

Of the 42% of New Zealanders who say they know where to report something they’ve seen online that might be harmful or dangerous, 47% said they would go to the police, 34% said Netsafe and 13% said the organisation/website/app concerned.

• Pacific Peoples are much more concerned than others about some aspects of the Internet. Compared to the average for everyone in Aotearoa:
• • 63% of Pacific Peoples are concerned that people from low socio economic backgrounds may have limited access (vs NZ average of 37%)
  • 59% of Pacific Peoples are concerned about the cost of the Internet (vs NZ average of 34%)
  • 71% of Pacific Peoples are concerned about people becoming socially or physically isolated from each other (vs NZ average of 49%)
  • 84% of Pacific Peoples are concerned about the Internet being used to share dangerous or discriminatory messages about individuals, groups, or communities (vs NZ average of 63%)
• Women are much more concerned than men about some aspects of the Internet:
• • 81% of women are concerned about young children accessing inappropriate content (vs 66% of men)
  • 74% of women are concerned about cyber bullying (vs 59% of men)
  • 66% of women are concerned about the Internet being a forum for extremist material and hate speech (vs 52% of men)
  • 70% of women are concerned about the Internet being used to share dangerous or discriminatory messages about individuals, groups, or communities (vs 57% of men)
• 53% of people, who do work that allows them to work from home, would consider moving somewhere else in Aotearoa if they could re-locate their current job (up from 45% last year).
• • Of those who would consider relocating; the most common reasons are better lifestyle (57%), more affordable lifestyle (54%) and more affordable housing (50%).
• Facebook and Meta-owned platforms have complete domination here in Aotearoa. Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and Whatsapp are all in the top five communications channels New Zealanders are using.
• Our research shows that 16% of Internet users have a long-term disability, with many using assistive technology.
• Top concerns (either extremely or very concerned): Young children accessing inappropriate content (74%), security of personal data (68%), online crime (68%), cyber bullying (67%), threats to privacy (65%)
• Although the majority of people continue to think that the positives of the Internet outweigh the negatives, this is on a downward trend. In 2020, 87% said ‘yes’ the positives of the Internet outweighed the negatives. In 2021 this was 86% and in 2022 84%.

Each year InternetNZ commissions market research company Colmar Brunton to survey New Zealanders about their use, benefits, concerns, and fears regarding the Internet. InternetNZ will continue to commission this research each year to demonstrate what people think today, and how their thinking changes over time.

InternetNZ is a non-profit organisation, and the home and guardian of .nz – providing the infrastructure, security and support to keep it humming. It uses the funding from the sale of .nz domain names to support the development of New Zealand’s Internet through policy, community grants, research and events. Its vision is an Internet that is open, secure, and for all New Zealanders.