NetSafe appointed member of INHOPE network for New Zealand

NetSafe is pleased to announce that its application to join the INHOPE network has today been approved at a meeting of international members in Warsaw, Poland.
INHOPE is a network of organisations operating hotlines in 43 countries worldwide. Members deal with illegal content online and are working towards the goal of removing child sexual abuse material from the internet.

INHOPE hotlines offer the public a way of anonymously reporting internet content they suspect to be illegal. To fulfill this new role, NetSafe will ensure that the matter is investigated and if found to be illegal, the information will be passed to the relevant law enforcement agency or internet service provider hosting the content.

Some INHOPE members have a very specific focus. NetSafe, which has been helping New Zealanders tackle online challenges since 1998, will continue to provide a range of services and act as the central point of contact for challenges that cover cyber safety, cyber security and cyber crime.

“Membership of INHOPE will help NetSafe develop ties with other international bodies and will further strengthen our national response to these issues.” says NetSafe’s Executive Director, Martin Cocker.

NetSafe members and stakeholder partners including InternetNZ, Department of Internal Affairs, NZ Police, the Office of the Children’s Commissioner, the Human Rights Commission, ECPAT NZ, Trade Me, Facebook and the Ministry of Education supported the application for INHOPE membership.

“The appointment of NetSafe as the reporting hotline for New Zealand, highlights the strength of our collaborative relationships with government and law enforcement partners and showcases the way a wide range of organisations in the online space work together to build capable, responsible and safe users of online technologies,” said Cocker.

New Zealanders concerned about online material can report to NetSafe using a range of channels including the free 0508 NETSAFE helpline and via the online reporting website, www.theorb.org.nz. NetSafe will triage all reports and work with specialists at the Department of Internal Affair’s Censorship Compliance Unit and NZ Police’s OCEANZ team to address concerns raised.

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