Big tech companies agreed on Monday to reduce harmful online content in New Zealand, making a move that critics said dodged the alternative of government regulation.
Meta Platforms, Alphabet-owned Google, TikTok, Amazon and
Twitter had signed a code of practice, said Netsafe, a government-funded
internet-safety group.
"There are too many Kiwis being bullied, harassed, and
abused online, which is why the industry has rallied together to protect
users," Carey said in a statement.
Industry lobby group NZTech will be responsible for the
companies meeting obligations, which include reducing harmful content online,
reporting how they do that and supporting independent evaluation of results.
"We hope the governance framework will enable it to
evolve alongside local conditions, while at the same time respecting the
fundamental rights of freedom of expression," said NZTech chief executive
Graeme Muller.
Meta and TikTok said in statements they were enthusiastic
about the code making online platforms safer and more transparent.
Interest groups want more detail, however - for example,
about sanctions for any failure by the companies to comply and about a
mechanism for public complaints.
They also point to the pact being administered by an
industry body, not the government.
"This is a weak attempt to preempt regulation – in New
Zealand and overseas – by promoting an industry-led model," Mandy Henk,
chief executive of Tohatoha NZ, a non-profit organisation that lobbies on the
social impact of technology, said in a statement.
The framework that the companies agreed to is called the
Aotearoa New Zealand Code of Practice for Online Safety and Harms.
New Zealand has been a leader in trying to stamp out violent
extremism online. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel
Macron in 2019 launched a global initiative to end online hate.