17 February 2023
45 Pipitea Street, Thorndon, Wel ington 6011
PO Box 805, Wel ington
Phone 04 495 7200
J Schofield
Email
[email address]
[FYI request #21370 email]
dia.govt.nz
Dear J Schofield,
Your Official Information Act 1982 request, reference OIA 22/23-0518
Thank you for your email of 9 December 2022 to the Department of the Prime Minister and
Cabinet (DPMC). On 20 January 2023, the below parts of your request were transferred to te
Tari Taiwhenua | the Department of Internal Affairs (te Tari) under the Official Information
Act 1982 (the Act):
“ 3. I seek any communications relating to requests by NZ govt persons or
entities and Twitter that seek to suppress or alter the dissemination of any
information tweeted by any person known or thought to be either or both a New
Zealand citizen/permanent resident and/or located within New Zealand (incl any
overseas territory/overseas NZ govt controlled location);
5.
I also request all documents held that constitute any discussion of
suppression of any information whatsoever, between the same NZ Govt persons
and twitter-related persons; and
6.
I also request all documents held that constitute NZ-govt internal policies or
discussions relating to the suppression or algorithmic alteration of the
dissemination of information by Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.”
Below is te Tari’s response to your three points, in order.
Point three
Te Tari focuses on content rather than individuals. In those circumstances, we do not know if
the person who has posted objectionable/il egal content is a New Zealand citizen or
resident, nor where they are located. On said content, most individuals would not use their
proper name when sharing objectionable or illegal material and this is not something that te
Tari can enforce.
This may become an issue for the Online Content Host (OCH) which they can pursue,
especially if the ‘tweeter’ is breaching the terms and conditions on the platform. We do not
give any advice to the OCH’s on individuals accounts being suspended as this is a decision
that OCH’s take under their own terms and conditions.
Please refer to our Transparency Report (the Report), which can be found on te Tari’s
website here: www.dia.govt.nz/Countering-Violent-Extremism-Transparency-reports.
The Report explains our actions regarding content general y. For further details on the Take
Down Notices, please refer to ou
r Take-down Notice Guidance, which can be found here:
www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/Files/New%20Zealand%20Online%20Process/$file/Take-
down-Notice-Guidance.pdf.
Please note that our next transparency report will be available in late February to early
March 2023.
Point five
Te Tari reports objectionable / illegal content, not individuals, and te Tari does not suppress
information. Te Tari ensures we reflect Aotearoa New Zealand’s commitment to the rule of
law, human rights, and fundamental freedoms – including privacy and freedom of
expression.
Contact with Twitter is done via the Twitter's Partner Support Portal and no ‘discussions’ are
made. Te Tari receives an automatic acknowledgement email which does not identify the
content. There are no other documents created when using the portal.
Point six
Te Tari holds some meeting notes that fal within scope of this point. These notes involve
commercially sensitive conversations. These are therefore being withheld under section
9(2)(b)(ii) of the Act, to protect information where the making available of the information
would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who
supplied or who is the subject of the information.
You have the right, under section 28(3) of the Act, to seek an investigation and review of this
decision by the Office of the Ombudsman. Information is available on the website
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz. Alternatively, you can phone 0800 802 602 or email
[email address].
We intend to publish our response to your request on www.dia.govt.nz. This letter, with
your personal details removed, will be published in its entirety. Publishing responses
increases the availability of information to the public and is consistent with the Act’s
purpose of enabling more effective participation in the making and administration of laws
and policies and promoting the accountability of Ministers and officials.
Nāku noa nā
Jeremy Cauchi
Tumuaki | Director (Acting)
Ministerial, Monitoring, and Capability Group
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