Here’s a question for you, New Zealand: what’s even the bloody point of your Bill of Rights?
It is, after all, supposed to set out the rights and fundamental freedoms of New Zealanders – yet, its own text states that it cannot actually repeal, revoke or make ineffective any other legislation.
It’s almost like it’s just a pointless motherhood statement and nothing else.
Because, certainly, it’s done bugger-all to protect the rights and freedoms it lists, over the last few years. Not the “Right to refuse to undergo medical treatment” nor the “Freedom of peaceful assembly”.
And absolutely not the “Freedom of thought, conscience and religion” or “Freedom of expression”.
I mean, take a look at the latter:
Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and opinions of any kind in any form.
And try and square it with this:
Giant social networks operating in New Zealand will from now on “voluntarily” self-regulate to further suppress content considered misinformation and hate speech […]
At the same time, New Zealand is preparing to adopt actual new laws that would impose further censorship of content labeled as misinformation or hate speech.
“Considered”? “Labeled”? By whom?
As if we didn’t know it’s set up to be an Orwellian hobby horse for deranged extremists, exactly the same as the Minitrue “National Centre of Research Excellence for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism”.
It is not stated what type of action the platforms will now be taking in order to achieve that goal, but the companies behind them will be publishing reports each year to demonstrate compliance, and will detail what tools, policies, processes and systems are being used to this end.
This is the same tactic dictators like Mao used so effectively. By deliberately not setting explicit instructions and expectations, cadres invariably went even harder on the crackdown, so as not to risk the wrath of the Central Committee by disappointing the Chairman.
This tactic also encourages denunciations, because everyone lives in terror that they will be judged to not be loyal enough to the party.
Members of the public will be able to report a social media company if they “believe” the code has been broken on its platform, and file complaints […]
The only criticism heard so far of the code is that it is a way to avoid government regulation and thus any “real change and accountability”.
Reclaim the Net
Of course it is.
Welcome to the People’s Republic of Aoteanorthkorea, and don’t worry about a toilet paper shortage: you can always wipe your arse on your Bill of Rights.
After all, Jacinda already has.