Business. Scoop » VPN Assurances Hollow Without Ruling Out ID Verification For Adult Kiwis
Press Release – Free Speech UnionWhile a VPN ban now appears off the table, we are none the wiser about what censorship tools are being built behind closed doors. Do they too follow in the footsteps of China,. . .
Press Release – Free Speech UnionWhile a VPN ban now appears off the table, we are none the wiser about what censorship tools are being built behind closed doors. Do they too follow in the footsteps of China, Iran, and North Korea? says Chief Executive of the FSU Jillaine Heather. 7 July 2026Responding to reporting of Erica Stanford ruling out “restricting or banning VPNs” (https://www. thepost. co. nz/politics/361038645/oppressive-government-looks-vpn-ban-or-restrictions-part-under-16-social-media-ban), Jillaine Heather, Chief Executive of the Free Speech Union says:“We know that yesterday the Beehive were proposing to ban VPNs, but today the idea is dead. That’s a welcome development but still leaves considerable uncertainty. ”“Erica Stanford needs to guarantee that the freedoms and rights of adults to safely and privately access the internet will not be affected by her proposed regime. Banning kids from social media is one thing, but requiring grown ups to front up with ‘papers’ to access perfectly legal platforms is quite another. ”In Budget 2026, the Government allocated $30 million over four years to “develop policy and possible regulatory options to improve children’s online safety”. In April, the Department of Internal Affairs advertised for a Programme Implementation Director before any bill had been introduced to Parliament. “While a VPN ban now appears off the table, we are none the wiser about what censorship tools are being built behind closed doors. Do they too follow in the footsteps of China, Iran, and North Korea?”“If the Government wants a Ministry of Censorship, it should ask Parliament for one, not pre-assemble it inside the DIA with no debate, no vote, and no scrutiny. ”“Free societies do not build censorship infrastructure by stealth and deny it one leak at a time. ”Content Sourced fromscoop. co. nzOriginal url