For possibly the first time in my life, I found myself agreeing, at least in part, with Te Pāti Māori. During yesterday’s debate in Parliament on the Budapest Convention and Related Matters Legislation Amendment Bill, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi made a few points that were, surprisingly, worth listening to.
For those that don’t know the bill aligns New Zealand law with the Council of Europe’s Convention on Cybercrime, more commonly known as the Budapest Convention. On paper, this treaty is the first international attempt to address internet-based crime by harmonising national laws, improving investigations, and encouraging international cooperation.
Cybercrime is a real and growing threat. From scammers preying on elderly investors to phishing attacks on small businesses and crypto-heists, the impact is massive. We absolutely need stronger punishments for online criminals. No argument there.
This bill goes much further than just cracking down on scammers. As Kapa-Kingi rightly pointed out in her speech, it opens the door to serious overreach.
Cybercrime is a real and growing threat. From scammers preying on elderly investors to phishing attacks on small businesses and crypto-heists, the impact is massive. We absolutely need stronger punishments for online criminals. No argument there.
This bill goes much further than just cracking down on scammers. As Kapa-Kingi rightly pointed out in her speech, it opens the door to serious overreach.
Privacy, oversight, and international access
Kapa-Kingi raised the alarm over data preservation powers in the bill. These would allow authorities to freeze digital data, not just for cybercrime, but for any offence. Crucially, this could happen without judicial oversight. That is not speculation, it is written into the framework.
We are potentially talking about handing over New Zealanders' data to foreign governments for things that may not even be illegal in New Zealand.
That is not cybersecurity. That is mass surveillance and international data exposure.
Kapa-Kingi mentioned the 2007 Tūhoe raids as a reminder of what can happen when government powers are used without checks and balances. Back then it was physical raids. Now it is digital surveillance. The tools might be different, but the risks are the same, especially for anyone out of favour with the state.
The bigger picture: Global censorship creep
We are already seeing examples overseas of so-called cybercrime laws being used to jail people for tweets. In the UK, women are being locked up for saying things that are deemed offensive online. That is not fighting hackers. That is speech policing.
Here in New Zealand, we already have the Harmful Digital Communications Act (2015), a law that is ripe for misuse by self-declared “victims” to silence people they disagree with. Add the Budapest Convention on top, and suddenly the police, foreign governments, or whoever else has access could start freezing your data, investigating your messages, or flagging your posts.
Oh, and let us not forget the Northland lockdown debacle, where two women who travelled north were tracked using ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) technology. Police falsely reported to get access to that tech. Every time the women passed an ANPR camera, at a petrol station or on the highway, they were pinged on Auror or Safercities. This was a blatant abuse of surveillance tools.
Now imagine those powers turned on you for sharing the “wrong” meme or questioning a government narrative online.
Trojan horse for digital ID
A few weeks ago, I warned that the Government’s push to ban under-16s from social media looked like a Trojan horse for a national digital ID system. I stand by that. These moves are not isolated. They are all steps on a carefully coordinated path.
The global agenda is clear:
- Erase online anonymity
- Control the flow of information
- Criminalise dissent
- Identify and monitor everyone
- Know your every move without a warrant
Kapa-Kingi said, "You can have a great idea, but deliver it with poor methodology. That is certainly the case here." For once, she is right.
This isn’t about keeping Kiwis safe from cybercrime. It’s about giving the government and foreign powers, full access to your digital life. First they’ll ban under-16s from social media, which will require digital ID for everyone. Then with the Budapest Convention bill, they’ll have the legal power to freeze, monitor and share your data. Piece by piece, they’re building a system of total control. Mark my words - this is all by design.
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.
5 comments:
“The bigger picture: Global censorship creep”.
Welcome to Techno-fascism, Technocracy by design.
It’s all part of the plan Matua, all part of the plan.
Throw digital currency into that mix and any remaining skerrick of privacy would be but a quaint relic of a bygone era.
So much peer pressure to be on Facebook etc and the tracking that will go on for a lifetime.
All of which is owned by commercial companies and sold by them to your disadvantage.
Nope, no apps, no tracking
So you are quite happy for Google to track your every move, read your emails and eavesdrop on all your conversations. You are happy for supermarkets to ban shoppers on the basis of facial recognition cameras. You're OK with airports controlling parking with number plate cameras. But it's not alright for the good guys to use the same technology to track down the criminals and anti-social elements that plague society. Face reality. The privacy horse has bolted, so stop trying to slam the stable door. Every time you use your device, or go shopping, or drive your car, you are complicit in the surveillance society. So, at least lets use it for the good of society, not just to make life easier for business.
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