H2024046938 Response Letter.pdf

133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T+64 4 496 2000

17 September 2024

Erika Whittome

By email:  [FYI request #27311 email]
Ref:
H2024046938

Tēnā koe Erika

Response to your request for official information

Thank you for your follow up request to the Ministry of Health – Manatū Hauora (the Ministry) on
22 July 2024 regarding the Ministry’s working relationship with YouTube. You requested:

"The Ministry can advise that these items were administrative in nature regarding the
Google content. Please contact us at [email address] if you would like to request
further information on this matter. I requested all the correspondence. Please would you
make an export or dump file of this correspondence as per this particular request for
information in the statutory timeframe. Dropbox may be an option if the file is too large for
this platform.”

As advised in the Ministry’s earlier response to you (H2024044867 refers) there was a large
number of items identified in your request (9,252 items). Therefore, you were asked to shorten
the timeframe and specify a topic of interest on 30 July 2024.

The Ministry thanks you for your suggestion to export the items into a dropbox. However, due to
security concerns the Ministry does not export items onto external websites.

Although the Ministry has not received a response from you to date regarding a refinement of
your request, the Ministry has filtered the search results down further using search terms and
manually reviewing subject headers of emails. There are 5 documents that have been identified
as the substance of the emails are in scope of your request. These documents are itemised in
Appendix 1 and copies of the documents enclosed. A small amount of information is withheld
under section 9 of the Act. Where this has occurred, I have considered the countervailing public
interest in release in making this decision and consider that it does not outweigh the need to
withhold at this time.

Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review any
decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at:
[email address] or by calling 0800 802 602.

Nāku noa, nā

Phil Knipe
Acting Deputy Director-General
Government and Executive Services | Te Pou Whakatere Kāwanatanga

Page 2 of 3

Appendix 1: List of documents for release

Date
Document details
Decision on release
1
26 May 2021
Email correspondence: YouTube  Some information withheld
changing ToS to allow ads on
under section 9(2)(a) of the
everything
Act, to protect the privacy of
natural persons.
2
14 September 2021  Email correspondence: MOH:
YouTube Misinformation sync @
Tue, Sep 14, 2021 2:30pm-
3:15pm (GMT+12)
2A
Attachment: COVID-19
Released in full.
Misinformation Policy Two
Sheeter.pdf
3
4 October 2021
Email correspondence: YouTube  Some information withheld
– Talent Release Form
under section 9(2)(a) of the
Act.
3A
Attachment: 04102021084609-
Released in full.
0001.pdf (223.77 KB)

Page 3 of 3

Document 1
From:
Andrew Leggott
Sent:
Wednesday, 26 May 2021 5:03 pm
To:
Paul Giles; Sophia Farrington-Pech; Emma Blackmore; Christine Ross; Peter
Abernethy
Subject:
FW: YouTube changing ToS to allow ads on everything
Hi
Just a heads up below on upcoming change to YouTubes terms of service, which might result in a lot more
advertising appearing in and around our video content.
1982
We’ll need to keep a close eye on this – there has already been some cross-govt discussion about what it might
mean for agency content.
ACT
Thanks
Andrew
Andrew Leggott l Manager, Digital Communication Channels l
Office of the Director General l Ministry of Health
Mobile S9(2)(a)

INFORMATION
[email address]
www.health.govt.nz
From: Cara Pollock <[email address]> OFFICIAL
From 1 June, YouTube are changing their terms of service to allow them to monetise any
videos hosted with them (ie, put ads on t
THE  hem).
If you are in their partnership programme (which allows you to make money off the ads),
you have a measure of control over which ads are displayed (can opt out of particular
UNDER
categories), but it is not something that allows you to opt out of ads altogether.
It’s not clear how widely they will be rolling out ads (if they will put them on everything or
have some kind of criteria or if they’re just giving themselves the option).
FAQ updated terms of service:
RELEASED
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/10090902
Cara Pollock
Senior Advisor
Digital Communication Channels
Communications and Engagement
Ministry of Health
S9(2)(a)

1

1982
ACT
INFORMATION
OFFICIAL
THE
UNDER
RELEASED

Document 3
From:
S9(2)(a)
@google.com>
Sent:
Monday, 4 October 2021 9:34 am
To:
Caroline Carruthers
Subject:
Re: YouTube - Talent Release Form
Incredible!! Thank you so much :)
On Mon, Oct 4, 2021 at 8:46 AM Caroline Carruthers <[email address]> wrote:
HiS9(2)(a)
1982
Yay - I have Ashley's signed copy of this release form. Please find attached.
Many thanks,
ACT
Caroline
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Statement of confidentiality: This e-mail message and any accompanying
attachments may contain information that is IN-CONFIDENCE and subject to
legal privilege.
If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate,
distribute or copy this message or attachments.
If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender INFORMATION
immediately and delete this message.
****************************************************************************
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This e-mail message has been scanned for Viruses and Content and cleared
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OFFICIAL
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THE
--
UNDER
To help p otect you p v acy M c osoft Off ce p evented au omat c download of th s pictu e f om the Inte net
• S9(2)(a)
• Head of Agency & Ecosystem
• S9(2)(a)
@google.com
• M: S9(2)(a)
Please note I don't work on Wednesday
RELEASED
1

Document 3A
1982
ACT
INFORMATION
OFFICIAL
THE
UNDER
RELEASED