Attempt to censor NZ blog

Very important for all New Zealanders to know. Freedom of speech is under attack.

Netsafe respond to attempt to censor The Daily Blog with veiled threats

the Daily Blog,

24 April, 2017

As readers of The Daily Blog will be aware, Netsafe recently contacted The Daily Blog and requested we secretly censor political content on The Daily Blog because a complaint had been made regarding that content under this ridiculous new Harmful Digital Communications law.

In no uncertain terms, I told Netsafe where they could go…

I have to be honest with you all, when the Harmful Digital Communications Act passed, I didn’t take a hell of a lot of notice of the fine print.

On the surface, the Act seemed reasonable. Human beings have a terrible ability to be cruel to one another and when they can be anonymous online that ability manages to become infinite, so I like many NZers probably nodded in agreement at legislation to combat online bullying in a cultural landscape that includes social media.

Oh how wrong was I.

Two days ago I was contacted by Netsafe who requested that under the powers given them from the Harmful Digital Communications Act that I censor The Daily Blog.

It gets so much worse than that though.

Not only am I not allowed to tell you, the readership of The Daily Blog, that I have been contacted by Netsafe to censor the blog, I am not allowed to tell you the content they wish to censor and I am not allowed to tell you if the blog has been censored.

Over the last 48 hours I have been shocked to learn the huge powers that have been handed over to a jumped up NGO who is merely deputised by the Ministry of Justice to manage the Harmful Digital Communications Act.

This law was effectively set up to stop teenagers bullying each other on bloody Facebook, what the hell are they doing trying to censor a political blog?

If The Daily Blog has published something that is a falsehood about you as an individual you have the right to contact me as the editor and request a right of reply and if we have over stepped the mark, an apology from the blog – failing that, you can always sue us for defamation.

I’ve been in this game since 1995, and in my 23 years (despite being banned from Radio NZ for life for supposedly defaming John Key), I’ve never been sued for defamation. I know the law, I sail pretty close to it at times, but I don’t over step it and I’ve got almost a quarter of a century of experience to back that up.

We have reviewed the blogs that Netsafe have asked to be censored and there is NOTHING defamatory in those blogs. If NZers knew what blogs Netsafe wanted censored, there would be outrage at the obvious political influences at work here.

Netsafe demanded that I respond within 48 hours as to whether or not I would comply with their requests for censorship, so let me respond publicly to Netsafe.

You can censor The Daily Blog the day you take the keyboard from my cold dead hands. The content you have asked to be censored is not defamatory and allowing secret censorship of political blogs is the most dangerous and disturbing part of your powers.

This blog ain’t for turning

My advice to Netsafe is that they pause, take a long deep breath and consider the Public backlash at this type of censorship. You were given these powers to stop cyber bullying, you sure as Christ weren’t given them to censor political blogs. This is an outrageous abuse of power and I won’t acquiesce to it.

Any incoming new Government in September has to urgently check the powers that have been given Netsafe, because I can’t imagine anyone who voted for the Harmful Digital Communications Act thought for one second it would be used against legitimate political comment online.

If Netsafe continue this action against The Daily Blog, I will ensure you our readers know about it.

…many, many, many people have contacted me and asked what has happened with this, so here is the update.

Netsafe contacted me with the following veiled threat…

…so because I wasn’t prepared to be silent about their request to censor The Daily Blog, they are stepping aside to allow the complaint to proceed. Effectively Netsafe are insinuating that because I refused their request for confidentiality and refused to participate in their Kangaroo Court, they will allow the complaint through without any of their supposed moderation of the process.  So while they might agree the complaint is bullshit, because I wouldn’t play their game and embarrassed them by going public the complaint can go ahead without their moderation, which when you consider this is a Government backed agency is a remarkable position to take.

The last paragraph I find particularly chilling. Netsafe are promising that they will come after Political Blogs and even the mainstream media as a State backed censor. Remember this bloody legislation was sold to the public as a way to stop teenagers from bullying each other on Facebook, how has Netsafe’s scope gone from a genuine problem like cyber bullying to State backed Censor?

How the hell has this all occurred without any of us noticing?

If Netsafe come to my door again asking for secret censorship, I’ll tell them what I told them last time, you can censor The Daily Blog the day you take the keyboard from my cold dead hands.

If the complainant attempts to take me to the District Court I will ensure everyone knows what the material is and ask for you all to spread it as far and as wide as you can.

This ridiculous new censorship law might be able to shut down The Daily Blog or see me imprisoned until I comply with a take down notice, but it sure as fuck can’t stop all of you spreading the material into every single corner of the internet.

This blog ain’t for turning and an urgent review of Netsafe’s powers are required from any incoming Government.

A Wikipedia article of Netsafe is HERE

*