Services-Hate and Abuse-Netsafe
Netsafe
Netsafe is an organisation that can provide information and support as well as free and confidential advice when you are being hurt or targeted online.
They can:
- advise people on the steps they can take to resolve a problem,
- investigate and trying to resolve complaints where digital communications have caused harm,
- Speak with Social Media Platforms, Website hosts, internet service providers and other companies and ask them to either take down or moderate offending posts or messages
- Get in touch with the person or people that caused the harm.
- They can also in some cases find out who caused the harm if this has been done anonymously
- Inform people about their legal options and the possible outcome if they want to take their complaint to the district court.
How to contact them
You can make a report through their website https://www.netsafe.org.nz/report/ or you can free phone them seven days a week between 8am and 5pm on 0508 NETSAFE.
What happens when I make a report?
You can make the report yourself, or someone can do it on your behalf.
When you phone them, they will ask you questions so they can understand what’s going on, how long it has been happening, who is involved, what evidence you have and any other information to help them to evaluate your report.
When you make a report online, you will be asked to select from a range of multi choice questions to give information about the situation and the support you (or the person you are making the report for) is receiving, give your contact information and also a ‘short summary’ of what happened.
You will also be asked how concerned you are for your safety.
Whether you make your report by phone or using the online form, you will be given a report number that will create a ‘thread’ of emails to keep all of the communication together.
If you make your report online, you will then receive an email confirming your report has been received and that one of the team will be in touch once they have evaluated it using the contact details you gave in the form.