Film censorship in New Zealand

David Shanks, the New Zealand Chief Censor, writes:

There's a new documentary out on Netflix which is trending on social media and making headlines around the world.

Social Dilemma looks at how social media companies are exploiting human psychology and using surveillance and data mining to keep people addicted, all to make a huge profit. It explores impacts like the declining mental health of populations, the rise of fake news and conspiracies, and giving terrorists a platform to promote hate and livestream their crimes.

It was the part about livestreaming that brought it to my attention. We received a complaint from a member of the public last week -- just after the documentary was released -- saying that it contains excerpts from the Christchurch terrorist's video which he livestreamed on Facebook on 15 March 2019.

I had banned that same video in New Zealand days after the attacks. I classified it as an unlawful (objectionable) publication in New Zealand for its promotion of terrorism and extreme violence.

So was it illegal for Netflix to stream this documentary in New Zealand?

The answer is no. As we detailed in guidance we issued at the time , classification of the livestream video in its entirety doesn't mean that every excerpt from the livestream is unlawful, although we had urged media to demonstrate extreme care in the treatment of this material.

The clips that are used in Social Dilemma support the documentary's narrative, yet it's important to remember that they show a real-life atrocity in New Zealand, that happened only last year, and they show real people. The timing couldn't be worse. Survivors and relatives of those who were subject to the attacks have only recently worked through the sentencing process.

I watched the documentary, and I was deeply concerned about this.

I asked Netflix to change their age rating for this documentary from 7+ to 13+ and to add a warning for Violence, including brief images from the Christchurch terror attacks, suicide references and content that may disturb. I also offered other options - to put up a warning screen at the start of the documentary or remove the footage of the attacks altogether but those options weren't taken up.

Netflix has since updated their rating and warning, which I appreciate.

The good news is that this type of situation is less likely to come up in the future. A recent law change means that from late next year, Netflix and other streaming services will be required by law to display New Zealand age ratings and content warnings on all films, shows and documentaries.

If you plan to watch Social Dilemma, I recommend that you watch with care and consider those around you that may be triggered by the content.

New Zealand's Classification Office has released new research into New Zealand youth and pornography as the nation's lockdown sees our young people spend more time online than usual.

Chief Censor David Shanks said the new qualitative research report Growing up with porn - Insights from young New Zealanders provided useful findings that were even more relevant during a lockdown.

"This report and the resources we are launching alongside it will support parents and whanau to help their children and teens during the lockdown," David Shanks said.

The report, based on in-depth interviews with more than 50 diverse young people from across the country, is the culmination of three years' work for the Classification Office. It follows the nationally representative survey NZ Youth and Porn (2018) and an analysis of the content of mainstream porn -- Breaking Down Porn (2019).

David Shanks said:

"It will be a surprise to no one that young people use porn for sexual arousal, but it may be news for some that they also commonly use it to learn about sex, sexuality and gender - even when they know it presents an unrealistic and at times unhealthy view of all those things,"

"The young people told us that when it came to porn, issues around consent, body image, gender and sex education were what mattered most to them. They were less concerned about issues that are often raised like addiction or aggression."

Key findings were:

• Porn is normalised for young people, whether they watch it or not.
• Young people are curious about sex and porn is a default learning tool.
• Girls watch porn too, for similar reasons as boys, but see a double standard.
• Porn can have a negative impact on body image/confidence.
• They think it can negatively influence sex.
• Young people and adults are not talking about porn.
• Young people want comprehensive sexuality education which includes information about porn.
• Young people had varying views about filters or age verification, but agreed that children shouldn't have access to porn.

David Shanks said:

"The clear takeaway from this research is that young people need the adult in their lives to be able to talk with them, rather than take a blanket negative approach to the topic. Extreme negative attitudes makes it harder to have open conversations about their concerns, and contributes to feelings of guilt, shame and anxiety around porn use,"

"Easy online access has, to a certain extent, 'normalised' porn for our young people - regardless of whether or not they watch it, it's a part of their world. Despite their diverse backgrounds and beliefs, participants overwhelmingly supported more and better education about porn within a context of comprehensive sexuality education.

"Young people are saying that good, clear and honest discussion and education will provide them with a counter-balance for the stories around sex and consent that porn is telling them.

"They've shown us the way forward, when it comes to equipping them with the twenty first century life skills necessary for navigating their digital lives, healthily and safely. It's up to us to listen, and to act on it."