New Zealand Blocks Websites and Criminalises Possession of Christchurch Footage
In the days following the Christchurch mosque attacks, New Zealand's Chief Censor used emergency powers under the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act to classify the attacker's manifesto and livestream footage as "objectionable" — making possession a criminal offence carrying up to 14 years imprisonment. The Department of Internal Affairs activated website blocking, and ISPs were instructed to block access to sites hosting the footage. Several New Zealanders were subsequently investigated or prosecuted for sharing the footage. Free speech advocates warned the rapid criminalisation of possession — rather than just distribution — and the extrajudicial website blocking set a dangerous precedent for emergency executive content control without judicial process.