Submission to the Education and Workforce Committee - Inquiry into the Harm Young New Zealanders Encounter Online
29/07/2035
Submission to the Education and Workforce Committee
Inquiry into the Harm Young New Zealanders Encounter Online
From: Digital Equity Coalition Aotearoa (DECA)
Tēnā koutou,
Digital Equity Coalition Aotearoa (DECA) is a national collective of organisations, practitioners, community leaders and researchers working to eliminate digital inequity in Aotearoa. We advocate for a future where everyone, regardless of location, income, identity or circumstance, can participate fully in our digital society.
We welcome this inquiry and its intent to reduce harm faced by young New Zealanders online. However, we urge the Committee to approach this issue through a digital equity lens to recognise that online harm is deeply linked to systemic gaps in access, inclusion and capability.
Too often, efforts to solve digital harm focus on restriction, rather than responsibility. We believe the real opportunity here is to take a coordinated, whole-of-system approach where Government, business and communities each play a role in ensuring our digital world is safer and more accessible.
The Digital World is Not Optional
Digital participation is no longer a choice. It’s the foundation of our education system, our workforce, our health system, and increasingly our social and cultural life.
80% of New Zealanders consider access to the internet a basic need, yet 20% face one or more barriers to participation, such as cost, access to devices or digital skills (DECA Affordable Connectivity Report, 2023)
Digital platforms are essential lifelines for young people - particularly Māori, Pasifika, Rainbow and disabled youth to express identity, access peer support and engage with culture and learning. A 2024 Youth19 survey analysis showed that 37% of young people use online platforms to seek help for mental health.
A safer digital environment is not achieved by locking young people out, it’s built by ensuring everyone has the tools, protections and opportunities to engage meaningfully and safely.
Digital Harm Is a Digital Equity Issue
Digital harm is not an isolated phenomenon, it is a symptom of broader, structural inequities in Aotearoa’s digital landscape. When young people are targeted, excluded or left unsupported online, it’s not simply because the platforms failed them, it’s because the system did.
Online harm thrives where the digital divide persists. That divide includes:
Lack of Affordable, reliable internet. One in five New Zealanders report that cost is a barrier to home internet access.
Inadequate access to devices. Many young people from low-income families are expected to complete schoolwork, apply for jobs and stay socially connected with only one shared device in the home or none at all.
Low digital literacy among caregivers and communities. Without support to develop digital confidence and literacy, families are less equipped to guide and protect young people online. This leaves many young people navigating online environments without adult supervision or intervention.
Underrepresentation is the digital sector. Māori, Pacific peoples, disabled communities and other marginalised groups remain underrepresented in decision-making roles in tech, policy response and content moderation. This invisibility leads to blind spots in platform design, policy and educational outreach.
Young people most affected by online harm-Māori, Pacific, rainbow, disabled and low-income youth are also those least likely to have safe access, trusted support or access to the resources and support needed to navigate digital environments safely.
Centre Lived Experience and Community Voices
DECA strongly supports co-design approaches that centre the voices of rangatahi, especially those most impacted by online harm. Young people understand the platforms they use better than most policy-makers or industry leaders. Their insights should drive any intervention.
Likewise, the community organisations already doing the work, often on limited funding, must be seen not just as delivery partners but as architects of the solution. These are the groups best placed to reach vulnerable youth, build digital literacy, and offer wraparound support in culturally affirming ways.
Huber-Zoizumi & Brown’s (2024) Youth Digital Wellbeing Report offers a strong evidence base for community-led approaches, grounded in lived experience.
Government’s Role: Build the Infrastructure of Safety and Inclusion
Government has a critical responsibility to set the conditions for safe digital participation for all. That means:
Policy and regulation that holds platforms accountable for harmful content, algorithmic bias, and ensuring safety-by-design
Investment in digital inclusion every $1 invested in broadband and skills returns $3 - $5 in economic growth
Sustainable investment in community-led digital inclusion initiatives, including those supporting whānau, educators and vulnerable youth
System-wide coordination across education, health, tech and community sectors to embed digital equity into core services
Commitment to accessibility and affordability to ensure no child is excluded from support due to their postcode, income or disability
Business’s Role: Design and Deliver with Responsibility
Technology providers must take responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of their youngest users. Business cannot remain a passive actor in the safety of its youngest users. We call on private sector leaders to:
Embed youth safety and wellbeing into product and platform design
Design for accessibility and equity by default
Partner with communities to support capability-building and access
Be part of a collective accountability model where commercial success is tied to measurable social responsibility
It’s Time to Back Equity-Led Solutions
Online harm is not just a youth issue-it’s a system issue. It reflects the gaps in how we design, govern and deliver digital access and safety in Aotearoa.
We do not need to start from scratch. Across the motu, there are already trusted, proven initiatives delivering digital inclusion, education, and wellbeing support. But they are underfunded, under-recognised and overwhelmed by demand.
This inquiry presents a chance to reset how we think about online harm-not as a symptom to suppress, but as a signpost pointing to deeper systemic inequity.
Failing to address online harm through an equity lens is not just a social failure, it’s an economic liability. New Zealand loses an estimated $464 - $737M annually through lost productivity, increased health and welfare costs and missed economic participation.
Every young person pushed out of safe digital spaces is a lost opportunity for innovation, productivity, and wellbeing. Investing in digital inclusion and safety now means long-term savings, a more capable workforce and a more resilient economy.
We urge the Committee to:
Invest in equity-first infrastructure that supports safe digital participation
Hold platforms to account for the spaces they create
Enable local communities and rangatahi to shape the solutions they need
A safer digital future for young people will only come when we make equity our foundation.
Ngā manaakitanga,
Bronwyn Scott | Kaupapa Lead
℅ Digital Equity Coalition Aotearoa