Call for new laws to shield children from online porn
WELLINGTON: Tough new systems laws are needed to stop New Zealand children from accessing pornography online, the Minister for Children says.
The United Kingdom is bringing in age restrictions for viewing porn and blocking websites which do not comply.
Minister for Internal Affairs and Minister for Children Tracey Martin yesterday said she wanted to ensure New Zealand children were safe.
She wanted systems in place that stopped children from accidentally being exposed to porn, she said.
‘‘At the moment . . . we’ve got the chief censor actually doing a piece of research with young people to find out exactly what it is that they’re watching, when they’re watching it, how they’re getting it, are they intentionally seeking or are they finding themselves in a position where images are coming to them.’’
She said there was already an R18 restriction on material.
‘‘How are we able to enforce that online when we’ve got a really crowded space online with porn producers fighting for their own space and pushing it further and further.’’
She said as Minister for Children, and as a result of her involvement with secondary schools over the past decade, she knew increasing amounts of porn was slipping through the systems and children were being exposed to it.
In the term of this government, she wanted there to be a conversation with Cabinet about whether current legislation, regulation and censorship laws were fit for purpose. — RNZ