Sean Lyons: Netsafe Chief Online Safety Officer on the rise in targeted online hate speech

2026-01-15

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Online hate speech in New Zealand is becoming more targeted and our system can't keep pace. Netsafe's latest survey shows since 2018, the proportion of ethnicity-based hate speech has risen from 18% to 36%, becoming the most common reason people are targeted. Political-based hate has also increased to 25%. Netsafe Chief Online Safety Officer Sean Lyons told Andrew Dickens regulation is a really important part of dealing with it. He says that when people clearly understand where the laws sit and there’s a f...

Online hate speech in New Zealand is becoming more targeted and our system can't keep pace.

Netsafe's latest survey shows since 2018, the proportion of ethnicity-based hate speech has risen from 18% to 36%, becoming the most common reason people are targeted.

Political-based hate has also increased to 25%.

Netsafe Chief Online Safety Officer Sean Lyons told Andrew Dickens regulation is a really important part of dealing with it.

He says that when people clearly understand where the laws sit and there’s a framework to deal with that harmful content, then the platforms can better deal with it.

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