Referrals to Netsafe of Covid mis/disinformation
Al made this Official Information request to NetSafe Incorporated
The request was refused by NetSafe Incorporated.
From: Al
Hi everyone,
To date, how many referrals or submissions on Covid related mis/disinformation has Netsafe received?
Where did the referrals come from?
How many referrals came from the Ministry of Health?
How many reports to social media platforms were made by Netsafe related to Covid mis/disinformation?
How many reports resulted in a successful removal by the social media platform?
Thank you,
Al
From: Help
NetSafe Incorporated
JULY 20, 2023
Al
[1][FOI #23214 email]
To Al
Request for access to information held by Netsafe
Thank you for your correspondence of June 21, 2023 where you requested:
* The number of referrals or submissions on COVID-19 related
mis/disinformation received by Netsafe
* Where these referrals and submissions originated from
* The number of these that came from the Ministry of Health
* The number of reports to social media platforms made by Netsafe
related to COVID-19 mis/disinformation
* The number of reports that resulted in a successful removal by the
social media platform
Netsafe has considered your request in accordance with the Official
Information Act 1982 (OIA) and Netsafe’s Privacy and Information
Statement. The OIA applies to information held by Netsafe only insofar
as it relates to Netsafe’s role and functions under the Harmful Digital
Communications Act 2015 (HDCA) - see section 7(5) HDCA and Schedule 1,
Part 2 of the Ombudsmen Act 1975. None of the information requested falls
within scope of Netsafe’s role or functions under the HDCA and is
therefore not within scope of the Official Information Act 1982 as it
applies to Netsafe.
Regards,
Netsafe
[2]Follow Netsafe on Facebook
Netsafe / 0508 638 723 / [3]www.netsafe.org.nz
Our helpline is open from 8am until 8pm Monday to Friday, and from 9am
until 5pm on weekends and public holidays.
Before submitting any information to us, please read our privacy and
information sharing policy (https://www.netsafe.org.nz/privacy-policy/).
This sets out the information we collect, why we collect it and how it may
be used. CAUTION
The contents of this message and any attachments are confidential and may
be privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, then any
distribution, reproduction or other use of this communication is strictly
prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please
immediately destroy/delete it and telephone or email us at our cost to let
us know. Thank you.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #23214 email]
2. https://www.facebook.com/netsafeNZ
3. http://www.netsafe.org.nz/
From: Al
Hi Netsafe,
In your response you refused my request because the information I requested was not conducted under the work Netsafe does as the approved agency for the HCDA (which is subject to the OIA).
In a previous OIA (20990 is the reference on FYI) Netsafe released records of a report made to Meta due to a new Facebook account that was associated with Chantelle Baker. Because it was released I would assume the work was conducted under the HCDA - otherwise it would not have been released according to the response I received.
The released emails in that request see Netsafe reporting the Facebook page because it held harmful misinformation, and they also reference Chantelle Baker's previous Facebook page as proof. It also includes links of other Facebook and Instagram posts that Netsafe reported on the basis of them holding Covid related mis/disinformation.
In Ministry of Health OIAs email communications show Netsafe discussing this above example, as well as of receiving referrals from the Ministry of Health for Covid related mis/disinformation, and arranging meetings on the subject. The Ministry of Health has confirmed referrals were sent to Netsafe.
So your response to my OIA seems to conflict with the above linked OIA, that the work was done under the HCDA.
Under what basis did Netsafe receive referrals, and make reports to platforms, of Covid related mis/disinformation if it was not conducted under the HCDA?
If it was not conducted under the HCDA, why was the previous information I referenced - released under Netsafe's obligations under the OIA act to the HCDA?
Under what basis did Netsafe have discussions and email communication on the topic of Covid mis/disinformation with the Ministry of Health if it was not conducted under the HCDA?
Yours sincerely,
Al Johnson
From: Help
NetSafe Incorporated
AUGUST 15, 2023
Al
[1][FOI #23214 email]
To Al
Thank you for your correspondence of July 28, 2023.
Netsafe is an independent charity and incorporated society. We continue to
pursue relationships and objectives as a society and a charity, such as
our work related to mis/disinformation, which is separate from the
functions exercised under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015.
The Official Information Act 1982 applies to information held by Netsafe
only insofar as it relates to Netsafe’s role and functions under the
Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015. Any information related to
mis/disinformation purported to have been released pursuant to an OIA
request would have been released on a discretionary basis or otherwise in
error.
Thank you again for contacting us.
Regards,
Netsafe
Before submitting any information to us, please read our privacy and
information sharing policy (https://www.netsafe.org.nz/privacy-policy/).
This sets out the information we collect, why we collect it and how it may
be used. CAUTION
The contents of this message and any attachments are confidential and may
be privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, then any
distribution, reproduction or other use of this communication is strictly
prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please
immediately destroy/delete it and telephone or email us at our cost to let
us know. Thank you.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #23214 email]
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I have made a complaint to the Ombudsman.
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