WELLINGTON: On Monday, major digital corporations decided to forego government control in favour of reducing dangerous online content in New Zealand, according to opponents. A code of conduct was signed by Twitter, TikTok, Amazon.com Inc., Meta Platforms Inc., and Google, which is controlled by Alphabet.
The industry has come together to protect users because “too many Kiwis are being bullied, harassed, and abused online.” Industry lobby group NZTech will be in charge of ensuring that the companies adhere to their obligations, which include reducing harmful content online, disclosing how they do that, and promoting independent evaluation of results.
Meta and TikTok expressed their excitement about the code making online platforms safer and more transparent by saying, “We think the governance framework will enable it to adapt to local situations, while at the same time protecting the fundamental rights of freedom of speech.”
