Censoring the internet
WEBSITES HOSTED IN NEW ZEALAND ARE SUBJECT TO NEW ZEALAND’S CENSORSHIP LAW
If a website is hosted on a server located in New Zealand, it must conform to the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993. Films and games supplied to the New Zealand public via download must comply with New Zealand law, and steps must be taken to ensure age restrictions are not breached.
The Classification Office cannot censor overseas websites. However, people in New Zealand can still be prosecuted for uploading objectionable material to overseas websites, and any internet-sourced publications are subject to New Zealand classification law when they are downloaded to a computer in New Zealand. The Department of Internal Affairs Censorship Compliance Unit and the Police both monitor various sites and chat rooms for illegal activity.
The law applies to downloaded material
Any material downloaded from a website onto a computer in New Zealand is covered by the Act, and may be subject to investigation by the Censorship Compliance Unit of the Department of Internal Affairs or the Police, whether or not the website is hosted in New Zealand.
The law also applies to chat rooms
Chat logs are subject to the law and chat rooms likely to be of concern are monitored by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) and Police specialists. The Inspectors of Publications at DIA, in particular, ensure that internet use in New Zealand complies with the Act.
Clips from YouTube can be classified
The Classification Office has classified clips from YouTube as well as other material from websites. The majority of computer file submissions have been from NZ Customs, Police or the Censorship Compliance Unit of the Department of Internal Affairs or through court cases.
Some websites are blocked in New Zealand
In 2009, the Department of Internal Affairs began a new web filtering system to block websites that host child sexual abuse images. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can use this software to block access to these sites.
