A retired British cop got arrested in May 2025 for what the authorities called a “thought crime”. No threats. No inciting violence. Just a tweet that rubbed someone up the wrong way. It sounds like something out of Orwell, but it’s real.
And if you reckon that sort of carry-on couldn’t happen in New Zealand, you might want to think again. We’ve got a habit of copying what the UK and Aussie do, especially when it comes to tightening up laws that control what people can and can’t say.
Now the government’s eyeing up new rules for social media and online speech. It’s all sold as being “for your own good” - but that’s usually how it starts.
The HDCA: A Law That’s Getting Out of Hand
The Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 was meant to stop online bullying. Fair enough. No one wants people being harassed or abused online. But since it came in, the law’s been used for way more than that.
You can get slapped with criminal charges if your post causes someone “serious emotional distress”. But who decides what that actually means? What counts as too far? It’s vague as, and the courts get a lot of leeway.
Already more than 500 people have been charged under the HDCA, and Netsafe has handled 13,000-plus complaints. So it’s not just targeting trolls - it’s hitting regular people who’ve said something that someone else didn’t like.
Social Media Bans and ID Checks?
The National government’s now floating a ban on anyone under 16 using social media. Sounds tidy in theory, but think it through. How are the platforms meant to police it? They’ll need to verify everyone’s age. And to do that, they’ll probably ask for photo ID.
So before long, we’re all handing over our driver’s licences just to have a yarn on Facebook or post a meme on Instagram. That’s a hell of a slippery slope.
And once that system’s in place, it won’t just be kids. It’ll be everyone. No ID? No account. No voice. Too bad.
Why Anonymity Matters — and Why They Want to Kill It
Being anonymous online isn’t just for trolls or dodgy stuff. It lets people speak freely without the fear of getting doxxed, losing their job or getting harassed at home. It’s a safety net - and it matters.
But under the HDCA, judges are told to look at whether a message was anonymous when deciding if it’s harmful. So if you’re using a fake name, that could actually count against you.
Bit grim, eh? We should be protecting the right to speak freely, not punishing people for not wanting their name out in the open.
From “Keeping People Safe” to Silencing Dissent
The problem with all this is that it’s wrapped up in feel-good language. “Protecting people from harm.” “Making the internet safer.” “Helping the kids.” But it’s a smokescreen. Reminds me of the Ardern “be kind” bullshit.
What’s really happening is we’re building a system where the government and big tech can police what you say, how you say it and who you say it to.
Terms like “offensive” and “distressing” are getting weaponised to shut people up. And once that becomes the standard, no opinion is safe - unless it’s the approved one.
If we keep following the UK and Aussie down this path, soon enough you’ll be watching what you say before every post, not because it’s wrong - but because it might upset someone with more power.
That’s not a democracy. That’s censorship, plain and simple.
We’re already halfway there. Between the HDCA, the proposed under-16 social media ban and the likely push for mandatory ID, we’re inching toward a system where disagreeing online becomes a legal risk.
New Zealand’s sleepwalking into a future where saying the wrong thing could get you fined, fired or even arrested. It’s not about safety anymore. It’s about control.
And once we lose the right to speak freely, and speak anonymously - we won’t get it back without a fight.
Matua Kahurangi is just a bloke sharing thoughts on New Zealand and the world beyond. No fluff, just honest takes. He blogs on https://matuakahurangi.com/ where this article was sourced.
The HDCA: A Law That’s Getting Out of Hand
The Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 was meant to stop online bullying. Fair enough. No one wants people being harassed or abused online. But since it came in, the law’s been used for way more than that.
You can get slapped with criminal charges if your post causes someone “serious emotional distress”. But who decides what that actually means? What counts as too far? It’s vague as, and the courts get a lot of leeway.
Already more than 500 people have been charged under the HDCA, and Netsafe has handled 13,000-plus complaints. So it’s not just targeting trolls - it’s hitting regular people who’ve said something that someone else didn’t like.
Social Media Bans and ID Checks?
The National government’s now floating a ban on anyone under 16 using social media. Sounds tidy in theory, but think it through. How are the platforms meant to police it? They’ll need to verify everyone’s age. And to do that, they’ll probably ask for photo ID.
So before long, we’re all handing over our driver’s licences just to have a yarn on Facebook or post a meme on Instagram. That’s a hell of a slippery slope.
And once that system’s in place, it won’t just be kids. It’ll be everyone. No ID? No account. No voice. Too bad.
Why Anonymity Matters — and Why They Want to Kill It
Being anonymous online isn’t just for trolls or dodgy stuff. It lets people speak freely without the fear of getting doxxed, losing their job or getting harassed at home. It’s a safety net - and it matters.
But under the HDCA, judges are told to look at whether a message was anonymous when deciding if it’s harmful. So if you’re using a fake name, that could actually count against you.
Bit grim, eh? We should be protecting the right to speak freely, not punishing people for not wanting their name out in the open.
From “Keeping People Safe” to Silencing Dissent
The problem with all this is that it’s wrapped up in feel-good language. “Protecting people from harm.” “Making the internet safer.” “Helping the kids.” But it’s a smokescreen. Reminds me of the Ardern “be kind” bullshit.
What’s really happening is we’re building a system where the government and big tech can police what you say, how you say it and who you say it to.
Terms like “offensive” and “distressing” are getting weaponised to shut people up. And once that becomes the standard, no opinion is safe - unless it’s the approved one.
If we keep following the UK and Aussie down this path, soon enough you’ll be watching what you say before every post, not because it’s wrong - but because it might upset someone with more power.
That’s not a democracy. That’s censorship, plain and simple.
We’re already halfway there. Between the HDCA, the proposed under-16 social media ban and the likely push for mandatory ID, we’re inching toward a system where disagreeing online becomes a legal risk.
New Zealand’s sleepwalking into a future where saying the wrong thing could get you fined, fired or even arrested. It’s not about safety anymore. It’s about control.
And once we lose the right to speak freely, and speak anonymously - we won’t get it back without a fight.
Matua Kahurangi is just a bloke sharing thoughts on New Zealand and the world beyond. No fluff, just honest takes. He blogs on https://matuakahurangi.com/ where this article was sourced.
3 comments:
“That’s not a democracy. That’s censorship, plain and simple”.
Yes, it’s all about control, with “One Register” to rule them all.
Technocracy’s control grid is built and ready to lock us down into “their” digital gulag.
StatsNZ is creating a Persistent Unique Identifier (PUI) for each citizen to track them over time in an Integrated Statistical Data System – or ‘Statistical Register’.
The new system will link business, location and population registers giving a nearly complete picture of a person’s life over time. The data in this register will be updated in real time as it becomes available, moving away from data ‘snapshots’ that only show a moment in time. A Stats NZ whistleblower is concerned this power will be abused, while other Insiders and privacy law academics argue the new system potentially violates core principles of the Privacy Act.
Read all about what the state has planned for us in a special investigation by Bonnie Flaws here.
https://realitycheck.radio/one-register-to-rule-them-all-what-stats-nz-is-planning-behind-closed-doors/
You are absolutely right about this one Matua. And the Uniparty is all for it. Probably the general public as well. That is, until the SWAT team smashes down their door. Too late to wish you’d been more careful in your voting habits.
Absolutely correct . Look at the damage done to business by bad internet reports on accomodation , tourism , restaurants, sports clubs etc .
All from people mostly previously unknown to the receiver , but the damage is extensive financially and emotionally.
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