The so-called “big techs”, global technology companies, signed an agreement on Monday (25) to establish a partnership aimed at decreasing the volume of harmful or extremist online content in New Zealand.
The text, however, was seen as a strategy by the companies to avoid possible government regulation of the internet, a topic considered dear by the country’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern.
According to Netsafe, a New Zealand organization specializing in internet security, Alphabet (parent company of Google), Amazon, Meta (parent company of Facebook and Instagram), TikTok and Twitter have signed a code of conduct, called the New Zealand Code of Practice for Security. and Damages Online Aotearoa.
“There are many ‘kiwis’ [neozelandeses] being bullied, harassed and abused online, which is why the industry has come together to protect users,” Brent Carey, head of Netsafe, said in a statement.
NZTech, an industry lobby group in the country, will be responsible for verifying companies’ compliance with obligations, which include reducing harmful content available online, reporting on how such content will be removed from platforms and drawing up a independent evaluation of results.
“We hope that the form of governance developed in this experience will be able to make it evolve according to local conditions, while respecting the fundamental rights of freedom of expression,” Graeme Muller, executive director of NZTech, told Reuters. .
Meta and TikTok said in a statement that they are excited about the potential of the new code to make online platforms more secure and transparent.
But civil society groups and industry organizations are demanding more details on how the goals set out in the agreement will be met — whether there will be sanctions for companies that do not comply with the code, for example, or a public complaints mechanism, similar to an ombudsman.
There are also concerns that the pact will be administered by a company, not the government. “This is an insufficient attempt to pre-empt government regulation — in New Zealand and around the world — by promoting an industry-led model,” said Mandy Henk, head of Tohatoha NZ, an organization specializing in the social impact of technology.
The New Zealand government has invested in digital issues trying to mitigate extremism and online violence. In 2019, Jacinda and French President Emmanuel Mácron launched a global initiative to end hate speech on social media, called the Christchurch Call.
The program was created after a terrorist attack on mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 15 of that year. The action was broadcast live on Facebook, without any type of moderation.
