Tech New Zealand is uniting firms to help ensure positive online experiences. In 2022, Netsafe and Tech New Zealand launched the Aotearoa New Zealand Code of Practice for Online Safety and Harms, joined by tech firms Meta, Google, TikTok, Twitch and X (formerly Twitter). We are committed to reducing the risk of online content that may cause harm to New Zealanders.
The Code addresses key areas including bullying, child safety, disinformation, harassment, hate speech and misinformation with a mechanism for lodging complaints against breaches.
Signatories pledge to uphold these standards, collaborating with authorities as needed.
Complaints
We are committed to reducing the risk of online content that may cause harm to New Zealanders.
Download the Code.
This is the latest version of the Aotearoa New Zealand Code of Online Safety and Harms.
ENSURING KIWI VALUES
The Code is underpinned by four driving principles that encapsulate values and concepts grounded in te ao Māori, to serve the diversity and plurality of internet user communities in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Solidarity | Mahi tahi
Acknowledges the importance of working together to build the collective capability and capacity of industry, government, and civil society to address online safety and harm.
Dignity | Mana tangata
Emphasizes the importance of civility and humanity in the care and protection of all people in handling complaints and matters of a sensitive nature.
Balance | Kauhanganuitanga
Recognises the need to provide equal and equitable opportunity for the plurality of perspectives concerning issues around online safety and harm, and to make decisions that reflect a fair, transparent, and accountable process.
Respect | Mana
Encourages behaviour that promotes care, compassion, honesty, and responsibility to establish relationships and processes of high trust.
SIGNATORIES
The Aotearoa New Zealand Code of Practice for Online Safety and Harms has been signed by five major technology companies that are the founding signatories.
The code is open to any company in the digital industry as a blueprint for best practice for how to address online safety. If you are interested in adopting the code, please contact us.
Become a Signatory
Contact us if you are interested in becoming a signatory to the Online Safety Code.
CODE GOVERNANCE
Tech New Zealand hosts the Online Safety Code within its industry association infrastructure. It supports Signatories, the Oversight Committee and administers the Complaints Facility.
Oversight Committee
During its establishment, Tech New Zealand, Netsafe and the Signatories recommended candidates from various stakeholder groups and invited them to join the Oversight Committee.
The Oversight Committee’s responsibilities include:
- investigating and resolving complaints
- provide reports and recommendations on systemic issues or breaches
- improving the complaints mechanism
- periodically review the Online Safety Code to be responsive to the rapidly changing environment.
- serving as the Online Saefty Code’s spokesperson through the Chair
- approving new Signatories
Governance Structure
The Online Safety Code is administered by Tech New Zealand and governed by an Oversight Committee.
Terms of Reference
The Oversight Committee is established and operates to a Terms of Reference.
Oversight Committee Members
Administration
TRANSPARENCY REPORTS
Signatories are required to provide an Annual Report detailing actions taken and progress made in relation to expected outcomes outlined in The Online Safety Code.
These Annual Reports are independently reviewed and the Oversight Committee publishes the analysis.
Independent Review Reports
The Online Safety Code is administered by Tech New Zealand and governed by an Oversight Committee.
Annual Reports 2024
Annual Reports 2023
Baseline Reports 2022
Signatory Participation Forms
THE CODE REVIEW
One of the founding commitments of The Code is to keep it up to date with the opportunities and challenges for online safety and harm, and the expectations of the people of Aotearoa in terms of commitments to respond to those.
For that reason, The Code will be reviewed every two years. This page records the progress and outcomes of those reviews.
2025 Review
This Review commenced in August 2025. In consultation with the Oversight Committee, the following priorities for this Review were set as:
- Opportunity for engagement with as wide a range of stakeholders as possible.
- Timeframes flexible so long as stakeholder engagement completed in 2025, and Review finalised by the end of March 2026.
A full communications and engagement plan was developed and used to encourage participation in the review. At the launch in August 2025, media engagement was undertaken to highlight the existence of The Code and the opportunity to provide comment.
Participants were invited to participate in this review as follows:
You’re welcome to comment on any aspect of The Code. However, we’d especially value your thoughts on the following topics:
– Are the values that underpin The Code still relevant today? View our values here.
– Are the current commitments the right areas of focus?
The Code’s commitments are to:
– Reduce the prevalence of harmful content online
– Empower users to have more control and make informed choices
– Enhance transparency of policies, processes and systems
– Support independent research and evaluation
The Code was originally designed for online platforms, but online safety and harm are broader issues. Should The Code be extended to cover other areas of online life? If so, what new commitments, measures and outcomes would you suggest?
Are the measures and outcomes (detailed in Sections 4.1 – 4.4) effective ways to track progress on these commitments?
Are there other priorities or issues The Code should address, beyond the current commitments, measures and outcomes?
Could the governance, complaints and compliance processes (Section 5) be improved?
These questions are to guide your thinking, but please feel free to share your feedback on any aspect of The Code.
Participants were provided with three methods for providing their thoughts in response:
– Complete our quick survey
Share your thoughts in just 10 minutes. Answer as many or as few questions as you like.
– Send us your feedback
Prefer to go into more detail? Email us your written feedback or a document by 30 September 2025 so we can include it in our review.
– Host a workshop with us
The Code’s Executive Director is available to run a workshop with your organisation, helping you explore The Code and develop your feedback together. We will also be inviting specific individuals and organisations to participate in this review, as required by Section 5.5, and encouraging all Code signatories to share their perspectives.
The 30 September response due date was later amended to 31October to provide additional time for scheduled discussions and engagement with interested stakeholders. In practice, the Executive Director was receiving responses through these methods in November, where those participants had asked for additional time to finalise their response.
Participation in the 2025 Review
Participation in the different methods was as follows:
– 39 responses were received to the online survey.
– Two written responses were received, however several entities stated that their original responses on the formation of The Code and the earlier point of review still stood and asked that they were considered on that basis.
– Workshops were intended as the primary method of soliciting engagement, and three such workshops were held with organisations. In practice this category also included discussions one-on-one with particularly interested individuals and representatives of organisations. Including that second definition, discussions were held with 18 different review participants.
Across all methods then, 59 responses were received (not including the responses made in earlier Review processes).
Next Steps in the 2025 Review
The Executive Director is working with the Oversight Committee and the Signatories to agree on potential changes to The Code in the first quarter of 2026, to the goal of announcing the outcomes of this Review in March/April.
REPORTING ISSUES
If you would like to report a breach of the Aotearoa New Zealand Code of Practice for Online Safety and Harms, please complete the form on the Complaints page.
Before lodging your complaint, please make sure you’ve complained directly to the Code Signatory. You can only lodge a complaint if they fail to respond appropriately.
YouTube
To report inappropriate videos, channels and other content on YouTube, users should follow the relevant instructions for their device at: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2802027?hl=en&ref_topic=9387085&sjid=7011111297249166280-AP.
Instructions to make a privacy complaint or report a legal issue can be found at https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2802057?hl=en&ref_topic=9387085&sjid=7011111297249166280-AP.
Users may report content in-app by following the instructions in the Facebook Help Centre or the Instagram Help Centre.
To report potentially violative content, including videos that may contain harmful misinformation, TikTok users can:
1. Go to the video they wish to report.
2. Press and hold on the video.
3. Select Report and follow the instructions provided.
Users can also use this online form to report content on TikTok.
There are a number of ways to submit a report on Twitch. Reporting is safe and anonymous, and every report is sent to a member of Twitch’s moderation team for review. You can find more information here, including a list of helpful tips and best practices.
• When on desktop, you can report a channel by clicking on the 3 Vertical Dots at the bottom right of your screen, below the video player. On mobile devices, tap the 3 Horizontal Dots at the top right corner of your screen, and click ‘report.’
• To report another user in chat, on desktop, click on the user’s name in the chat. Next, click the 3 Vertical Dots at the bottom right of your screen, and select ‘report.’ If you’re on a mobile device, tap on the username in the chat column, then select ‘report.’
• To report a whisper, on desktop, click the cog wheel icon located in the top right of your Whisper window. Then, click ‘report.’ To report on mobile, click the cog wheel icon next to the username, then select ‘report.’
You can report Tweets, Lists, and Direct Messages that are in violation of the Twitter Rules or Twitter’s Terms of Service. Examples of violations you can report are Tweets, Lists, and Direct Messages for containing abusive or harmful content, spam, impersonation, copyright, or trademark violations.
To report a Tweet:
1. Navigate to the Tweet you’d like to report.
2. Tap the 3 dots icon located at the top of the Tweet.
3. Select Report Tweet.
To report a list:
1. Lists can be reported from the detail page of a List, or from the Notifications tab.
2. Navigate to the List you’d like to report.
3. Tap the 3 dots icon at the top of the List.
4. Select Report List.
For more information, including on how to report direct messages, please visit https://help.twitter.com/en/safety-and-security/report-a-tweet.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the New Zealand Online Safety Code?
The Aotearoa New Zealand Code of Practice for Online Safety and Harms aims to reduce the risk of online content that may cause harm to New Zealanders. The Code unites tech firms to help ensure positive online experiences for all New Zealanders. Signatories include Meta, Google, TikTok, Twitch and X (formerly Twitter).
The Code addresses key areas including bullying, child safety, disinformation, harassment, hate speech and misinformation with a mechanism for lodging complaints against breaches. Signatories pledge to uphold these standards, collaborating with authorities as needed.
What happens if a Signatory breaches the code?
The Oversight Committee will determine a resolution based on the breach’s severity. This may include an investigation, public statements or a Signatories removal from The Code. The goal is to address complaints positively, improving internet users’ experiences in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Why can’t complaints be made about specific content?
The Code is focused on enhancing transparency and measures regarding bullying, child safety, disinformation, harassment, hate speech and misinformation in Aotearoa New Zealand. Complaints about specific content should be directed to the Signatory’s reporting mechanisms. The Code mandates all Signatories to have such mechanisms.
How do you address conflicts of interest?
To manage conflicts, Signatories cannot vote on complaints concerning themselves and are excluded from processes involving these complaints.
How will transparency reports be reviewed independently?
The Independent Reviewer verifies claims in each Signatory’s report, ensuring compliance and accessibility for New Zealand internet users. If issues arise, the Oversight Committee and Signatories are informed, allowing corrections or dispute explanations to be published.