Tech giants Google, Meta and TikTok have become the first digital platforms to sign onto the New Zealand Online Scams Code launched today.
The code was developed by technology industry group Tech New Zealand, which said it established a blueprint for combatting scams in the digital industry.
Although voluntary, the code includes 38 concrete commitments for digital platforms to follow to fight online scam, including blocking, reporting, takedowns, advertising, email and messaging, law enforcement, intelligence sharing, consumer communications, and future-proofing.
According to Tech New Zealand, the code aligns New Zealand with international best practice, and is based on Australia’s Online Scams Code, developed by Australian industry association Digital Industry Group Inc. (DIGI).
The code, which is open to any digital industry organisation to adopt for its own use, significantly raises the level of digital protection for consumers, said Tech New Zealand CEO Graeme Muller said in a statement.
“Scammers are sophisticated, well-resourced and operating at scale and New Zealanders deserve an industry that meets that challenge head on,” Muller said.
“The New Zealand Online Scams Code is exactly that: a practical, public commitment from the digital industry to protect the people who use our platforms every day.”
The code was launched at the New Zealand Parliament at a gathering which included senior government representatives, policy makers and industry leaders from across the country’s tech ecosystem.