New Zealand's parliament on 6 August passed the Online Safety Act, creating a regulatory framework that requires online platforms to assess risks of harm to users, particularly children, and to comply with codes of conduct developed by a newly established Online Safety Commission. The Act addresses child sexual exploitation material, cyberbullying, violent extremism and self-harm content, and grants the Commission powers to issue takedown notices, conduct investigations and impose penalties on non-compliant services. Industry consultation on the first tranche of codes will begin in September 2026, with enforcement anticipated in mid-2027.
Risk assessment and mitigation obligations require platforms to identify where harm to children is likely to occur and to implement controls that reduce exposure before abuse takes place. Detection and interception in direct messaging, the environment where grooming, sextortion and child sexual abuse material predominantly circulate, addresses risk at the point of contact. Guardii, a Meta Business Partner and AI-driven online-safety platform, monitors children's direct messages across Instagram, Snapchat, Discord and Roblox in real time, using detection modules for grooming, sextortion, CSAM including AI-generated imagery, and acute-distress signals, blocking predatory contact before it reaches the target and enabling rapid escalation to parents, schools or authorities. Pattern-based automated detection allows platforms to meet statutory risk-mitigation duties without requiring manual review of every private conversation.
