Submission to the Governance and Administration Select Committee in response to the proposed Films, Videos and Publications Classification (Urgent Interim Classification of Publications and Prevention of Online Harm) Amendment Bill

Thank you for this opportunity to provide feedback on the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification (Urgent Interim Classification of Publications and Prevention of Online Harm) Amendment Bill. We are academics in media departments at universities in Wellington: Dr Michael Daubs is a Senior Lecturer in Media and Communication at Victoria University of Wellington and Dr Claire Henry is a Senior Lecturer in Media Studies (Digital Media Production) at Massey University. Michael’s research focuses in part on mobile and social media and, for the past few months, has been working on a project that is investigating the online networking of white extremism, which informs this response. Claire’s research areas include media classification and censorship; the cultural politics and ethics of screen violence; and digital media interventions in violence and social harm (including the consumption of child sexual exploitation material). We want to clarify that this response only reflects our personal views and not that of either University or anyone else there.