21 June 2024
Ombudsman Ref: 587371
DPMC Ref: OIA-2021/22-1310
Ryan Bullock
[FYI request #19264 email]
Dear Ryan Bullock
Official Information Act request relating to details of the role of Senior Analyst,
Disinformation and related information Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) request received on 21 June
2022. You requested:
“In your response you say that you have no affiliation with media,
internet providers either directly or via 3rd parties. If this is the case
how does the program of work undertaken by the organisation acquire
data?
It has been reported in the media that the DPMC has working
relationships with 3rd parties that function exactly as described such as
Annalect. Do you still standby your answer?
https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2F
www.nzherald.co.nz%2Fbusiness%2Fsocial-media-surveillance-
included-kiwis-private-messages-sent-to-
government%2F6YG3KCJJYPMOQF5HHHPEY6R5TI%2F&data=05%
7C01%7Cinformation%40dpmc.govt.nz%7Cd3d9f003df484b6f1d0508d
a4e4cdeeb%7Ceea6053309ef4b7a94060f38551cc613%7C0%7C0%7
C637908389765494602%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiM
C4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D
%7C2000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2Bx5gIo6Q1qOUs8DP26XtlBiIZ%2
FaAcsrfGElDBMsWtjk%3D&reserved=0
Can you please cite all of the methods that are used to acquire data for
analysis by the DPMC and affiliates with regards to social media,
websites, blogs, cellphone messaging applications (for example.
telegram, signal, whatsapp, instagram, facebook messenger, but not
limited to)
If any can you please cite any surveillance laws used to acquire these
datasets.
If your response to the above questions is that this information was in
the public domain and not privileged and private data, please publish
the datasets in full.”
Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand 6011
4892303
64 4 817 9700 Facsimile 64 4 472 3181 www.dpmc.govt.nz
You asked the Ombudsman to investigate our response to your request and, in
particular the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) refusing your
request for information about the methodology used and original datasets on the basis
that DPMC did not hold that information.
In the light of your complaint, DPMC has sought any information in scope of this part of
your request that was held by OMD NZ, from whom DPMC commissioned the relevant
reports. OMD NZ has confirmed the following:
The
Unite Against Covid 19 Campaign Sentiment Tracking Reports compiled by
OMD NZ for DPMC were structured around four sections using three software
tools.
1.&2. Social listening & Categories of Conversation sections.
Tool used: Brandwatch Consumer Research : an online analytics
subscription-based software.
Information accessed: Publicly viewable Facebook posts and comments,
X posts, Reddit threads, blog, and forum posts as well as digital news
stories and websites.
3.
Covid 19 News interest section. Tool used: BuzzSumo: online subscription-based software.
Information accessed: Engagement data on publicly viewable news
articles along with links to those articles.
4.
FAQ about Covid 19 section. Tool used: Sprinklr – OMD NZ analysts were granted access to this online
tool managed and subscribed to by the governments Covid Comms Team.
Information accessed: All publicly viewable questions posted on the Unite
Against Covid social media channels, campaign posts & direct messages to
UAC19 social media channels.
OMD NZ analysts then manually compiled each report using this information and
segmented these findings as per the methodology referenced in the reports
subsequently produced.
OMD NZ provided a copy of the report “
Unite Against COVID-19: Social Conversation
Analysis: April 13 – 19, 2021, New Zealand” as an example, drawing attention to pages
11 and 12 of the report as an example of the how the findings were segmented. These
are under the headings “
Vaccine Attitudinal segmentation” and “
Vaccine conversation
summary”. Please find a copy of the report
attached for ease of reference.
This report is also available on DPMC’s website at:
www.dpmc.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2023-01/UAC-Social-Conversation-Analysis-Part-
9-April-13-19-to-April-27-May-3-2021-release-document.pdf. The report is on
pages 4-18.
Additional related reports are also available on the DPMC website at:
www.dpmc.govt.nz/publications/covid-19-insights-reports-and-research.
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OMD NZ has confirmed that that no information from the above tools used as part of
producing the commissioned reports were retained by OMD NZ and that OMZ NZ no
longer have access to Sprinklr.
This is the only additional information relevant to this part of your request held by OMD
NZ. To the extent that OMD never held the information you are seeking we refuse your
request under section 18(e) in that the documents that would have contained the
information do not exist, or despite the reasonable efforts to locate it as outlined above,
cannot be found. To the extent that the information deemed to be held by DPMC no
longer exists we therefore refuse your request under section 18(g) in that it is now no
longer held by DPMC and there are no grounds for believe that the information is held
by anyone else subject to the Act.
I remind you that you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to investigate and review
my decision under section 28(3) of the Act.
This response may be published on DPMC’s website during our regular publication
cycle. Typically, information is released monthly, or as otherwise determined. Your
personal information including name and contact details will be removed for
publication.
Yours sincerely
Clare Ward
Executive Director
Strategy, Governance and Engagement Group
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