Children’s Minister Tracey Martin wants online pornography to be regulated

NZ Herald 10 August 2018
Family First Comment: This is exactly what an expert panel on the harms of pornography would investigate. (But we’re still waiting on the politicians to respond !)www.PornInquiry.nz

New Zealand could follow the United Kingdom in bringing in age restrictions for online pornography and blocking websites which refuse to comply.

Department of Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin, who also holds the children’s portfolio, says young people are being “bombarded” by internet pornography and she wants censorship laws to be strengthened.

“This is a really, really big issue to New Zealand and we are going to have a serious conversation about it,” she told the Herald.

“And I hope to make sure we have this conversation in this term of Government.”

Martin supports the approach of the United Kingdom, which has ambitious – and controversial – plans to introduce mandatory age verification for pornographic websites later this year.

She made the comments after the Chief Censor began a major piece of research on New Zealand teenagers’ online pornography habits. Expected to be completed in December, the research will be used to inform Government policy, including possible regulation.
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