This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Official Information request 'Disinformation Management'.


15 July 2022 
Ryan Bullock 
[FYI request #19264 email] 
Ref: OIA-2021/22-1440 
Dear Ryan Bullock 
Official Information Act request relating to your previous request – OIA-2021/22-1310 
Thank you for your Of icial 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 
stil  standby your answer? 
https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.
nzherald.co.nz%2Fbusiness%2Fsocial-media-surveil ance-included-kiwis-
private-messages-sent-to-
government%2F6YG3KCJJYPMOQF5HHHPEY6R5TI%2F&data=05%7C01
%7Cinformation%40dpmc.govt.nz%7Cd3d9f003df484b6f1d0508da4e4cdeeb
%7Ceea6053309ef4b7a94060f38551cc613%7C0%7C0%7C6379083897654
94602%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoi
V2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000%7C%7C%7C&sd
ata=%2Bx5gIo6Q1qOUs8DP26XtlBiIZ%2FaAcsrfGElDBMsWtjk%3D&reserv
ed=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 surveil ance 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.” 
In the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet’s (DPMC) 26 May 2022 reply to you 
regarding your request for details of the role of Senior Analyst, Disinformation, we advised 
that “the position did not have any af iliations with media, internet platform providers, 
including through contract third parties or contain a budget for work programs”. 
Executive Wing, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand 6011 
4573868 
  64 4 817 9698  www.dpmc.govt.nz 

 
 
DPMC has interpreted your request to “cite all methods used to acquire data for analysis with 
regards to social media, websites, blogs, and cellphone messaging applications” in the 
context of your OIA request that was made on 3 May 2022 (ref: OIA-2021/22-1310) and the 
COVID-19 Group’s work around responding to disinformation. 
 
As we explained in our response of 26 May 2022, the programme of work that the Senior 
Analyst, Disinformation undertook was to understand the work already underway in 
addressing and responding to disinformation about COVID-19, advise of any areas for 
improvement to help with a connected government approach to the provision of accurate 
information, and ensure that the public is well supported in building resilience to 
disinformation. That role no longer exists. We also advised that we currently have a Senior 
Advisor employed in the System Assurance and Continuous Improvement team whose role, 
in addition to other assurance and governance work, includes cross-agency coordination of 
issues relating to COVID-19 disinformation. This is in addition to roles which contribute to 
COVID-19 communications and insights reporting.  
 
Please note, as the recipients of reports, we do not collect primary data nor carry out any 
data analysis of our own, thus the DPMC COVID-19 group do not hold any datasets. The 
data that underpins those reports would be held by the authors of the reports.  
 
As such, this part of your request is refused under section 18(e) of the Act, as the documents 
alleged to contain the requested information do not exist.  
 
From time to time to support this work, we have provided insights as to overall themes being 
observed on mainstream and social media. These insights synthesise reports received from 
other agencies and organisations which they have agreed to share, or are publicly available 
on existing websites, such as: NZ Herald, fullfact.org/health, thedisinfoproject.org/resources, 
voicesforfreedom.co.nz/blog. These reports were proactively released on the Unite Against 
COVID-19 website, which is available at:  www.covid19.govt.nz/about-our-covid-19-
response/proactive-releases/reviews-and-audits/.  
 
The COVID-19 Group inhouse social media team also manage  our own channels and,  if 
there is any content around false information,  wil  respond to in line with the community 
guidelines as published on the platform.  
 
We note that you have referred to a New Zealand Herald article regarding the Annalect 
reports. DPMC continues to stand by our previous response that the role of Senior Analyst, 
Disinformation  would not have had any affiliations with media.  Any media queries are 
managed through the COVID-19 Group communications and engagement team.  
 
With regards to DPMC’s working relationship with Annalect, I can advise that early in 
New Zealand’s pandemic response, a critical need was identified to understand how 
information provided about COVID-19 was being received and understood by the public.  
This was to help ensure public communications about the pandemic were effective. 
 
To this end, DPMC commissioned regular research focusing on sentiment and behaviours 
towards COVID-19. As part of this, in April 2020, Annalect, the data analytics division of 
OMD New Zealand, which is the media buying agency for the COVID-19 response, began 
undertaking social media analysis for the COVID-19 Group. We did not have this capability 
ourselves and it would not have been economic to build it in-house. Therefore, external 
providers were sought.  I can also advise that the Annalect social media listening reports 
were proactively released on the Unite Against COVID-19 website, which is publicly available 
at: www.covid19.govt.nz/about-our-covid-19-response/ proactive-releases/research/.  
 
 
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We note that the Annalect reporting you have referenced has not been used as part of the 
COVID-19 work on responding to disinformation.  
 
For future context and to give you full visibility, we have recently commissioned three 
research projects from suppliers on disinformation. Specifically, these are: 
  •  trends in disinformation narratives and the impacts of these on the New Zealand 
public health response; 
•  New Zealanders’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviours regarding COVID-19 
misinformation; and 
•  best practice in scanning online, open-source material for the purposes of 
understanding the online information landscape.   
 
You have the right to ask the Ombudsman to investigate and review my decision under 
section 28(3) of the Act. 
 
This response wil  be published on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s 
website during our regular publication cycle. Typically, information is released monthly, or as 
otherwise determined. Your personal information including name and contact details wil  be 
removed for publication. 
 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
 
 
 
Julie Knauf 
Acting Deputy Chief Executive 
COVID-19 Group 
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