The regulator would have been given the power to force online platforms to take down more kinds of illegal content, such as threats to kill people.
The overall objective of the initiative was to “improve consumer safety for all New Zealanders”, Internal Affairs said.
But a spokesperson for the department said it was not continuing with the project.
Nor was there any indication from the department that any of the proposed work programme would continue in other guises.
Internal Affairs received 20,281 submissions on its proposals from individuals and organisations by its July 31 consultation deadline.
But it declined an Official Information Act request to release a summary of the responses it received until last week, when it hinted at the demise of the initiative by describing it in the past tense.
“The Department of Internal Affairs will not be progressing with the Safer Online Services and Media Platforms programme,” its spokesperson subsequently told The Post.
Waikato Times
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