Netsafe Quarterly Report April – June 2019

Quarter four was another busy quarter for the team. We saw an increase in overall reports to Netsafe, particularly in scam and fraud reports. We will release our full year results for 2018/19 in our annual report, but for now I can share that Netsafe has seen a 35.9 percent increase in reports compared to the previous year.

Netsafe was also appointed to Facebook’s Global Safety Advisory Board. Serving on this board enables us to better represent the interests of New Zealand, and to continue our work to create a safer more positive online experience for New Zealanders.

Our research team attended the Global Kids Online Network project meeting in Italy. They presented their initial findings using the Global Kids Online research methodology. This research produced New Zealand’s first ever report into digital self-harm in Kiwi teenagers. We also attended the INHOPE annual general meeting in Ireland to help progress the work to combat child sexual abuse material.

We are still receiving reports related to the Christchurch terrorist attacks although they are declining in frequency. Work related to the attacks continues to be a focus for us. The team are working closely with key stakeholders to ensure we are doing everything we can to help.

We will be sharing more about this work at the eSafety19 conference from 11-12 September. Netsafe are again co-hosting with Australia’s Office of the eSafety Commissioner. This year’s event is returning to Sydney and our members will receive a discounted ticket rate. If you are not yet a Netsafe Member, there’s still time to apply.

I hope to see you in Sydney, but if the location is a hurdle to your attendance I will be providing an update in our next quarterly report.

Regards,

Martin Cocker

CEO, Netsafe

Our education sector and public awareness programmes help connect New Zealanders to online safety information. We do this so people feel empowered to take advantage of the various digital opportunities available to them, and so they know we are here to help if something does go wrong online.

In Q4, we reviewed our key programmes to ensure we continue to provide tools and information that assists Kiwis. One of the main initiatives to be reviewed was the Netsafe Schools programme. As a result of this work we piloted some changes to the programme at the Netsafe Live event in Palmerston North. The revamped Netsafe Schools programme will soon be launched, and you should notice it has a more inclusive model with relationship, growth and sharing at the core.

There has been an increase in the numbers of schools contacting the Helpline after the Christchurch attacks. This has kept the Helpline busy and in turn the Education team as we’ve followed up on some of the cases. We’ve worked with schools to develop and enhance online safety, citizenship and wellbeing, and to support greater confidence among staff in responding to online incidents.

You may have also heard more about Netsafe as we’ve been using different channels to promote our service and educate people about how they can minimise their own online risks. If you don’t already, you can keep up with our activities by following us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram. If you have any ideas on how we could work together to better support internet users, please get in contact.