Latest news
Check out the latest classification news, events and topics from the Classification Office
This section includes our media releases, news articles on various topics related to classification, information about our latest research, details of submissions we've made, resources and useful PDFs.
News item: Online law changes needed - But checks and balances must apply
05 May 2021
Changes to update the law for online content are required now – but need to be balanced with improved transparency of decision-making and access to rights of independent review, Chief Censor David Shanks said.
Mr Shanks heads the Classification Office, Te Mana Whakaatu, the independent Crown entity responsible for classifying publications that may need to be restricted or banned. It has submitted on the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification (Urgent Interim Classification of Publications and Prevention of Online Harm) Amendment Bill.
News item: Online law changes needed - But checks and balances must apply
News item: Classification Office response to the March 2019 Christchurch terrorist attack, livestream and manifesto
09 December 2020
This page gives an overview of how the Classification Office was involved in responding to the Christchurch terrorist attack in March 2019 and our ongoing response.
News item: Talking With, Not To
30 November 2020
David and our youth facilitators put together a fantastic presentation for national youth health and development conference, Involve, earlier this year. We focused on our research listening to rangatahi talk with us about their online experiences, the importance of connecting with - and listening to - rangatahi, and the online challenges specific to tamariki and rangatahi. Na te whakarongo me te titiro ka puta mai te korero - through looking and listening we gain wisdom.
News item: Talking With, Not To
News item: Technology of Terror – Countering Violent Extremism Online
30 November 2020
A few months ago David spoke on the 'Technology of Terror' at one of Europe's biggest tech conferences, Infoshare. His presentation covers our learnings as media regulators countering online extremism in the aftermath of the Christchurch massacre, and also personal insights into the impact on David and our team as digital first responders.
News item: Technology of Terror – Countering Violent Extremism Online
News item: Brain development – How it works, why it matters
21 October 2020
To understand why age ratings are important when it comes to films, DVDs, video games and other media content, it’s useful to know how our brains change as we grow. We worked with youth health expert Dame Sue Bagshaw to give you a quick and easy overview!
News item: Understanding loot boxes
22 June 2020
Gaming is a big part of many young people’s lives. It can be fun, social and educational. As parents and whānau it’s important that we know what’s in the games our rangatahi are playing.
This page contains advice and answers to frequently asked questions for parents and whānau who want to understand what a loot box is.
News item: Understanding loot boxes
Research: Growing up with Porn
18 April 2020
This research provides insights from more than 50 interviews with a diverse group of young New Zealanders aged 14-17. It follows our 2018 nationally representative survey NZ Youth and Porn, and provides a more in-depth understanding of young people’s experiences with porn and the impacts this may have on relationships.
We found that young people are looking for more guidance and engagement from trusted figures in their lives when it comes to tackling tough subjects like porn, sex, relationships and consent. We're not talking enough, nor are we talking in the right ways. And they're asking for more comprehensive and consistent education when it comes to sex and relationships. They think porn literacy should be a part of this.
Research: Growing up with Porn
Media release: Growing up with porn: Insights from young New Zealanders
18 April 2020
The Classification Office today released new research into New Zealand youth and pornography as the nation’s lockdown sees our young people spend more time online than usual.
Chief Censor David Shanks said the new qualitative research report Growing up with porn - Insights from young New Zealanders provided useful findings that were even more relevant during a lockdown.
Media release: Growing up with porn: Insights from young New Zealanders
News item: UMR Research 2019 - Online video services
13 December 2019
A few months ago we asked New Zealanders about their entertainment media consumption.
Online content delivery has changed enormously over the past decade, and it’s had a dramatic impact on the global film and television industry – which has in turn, impacted our own work. We know that many New Zealanders are choosing to view films and tv series via streaming platforms such as Netflix, but until we asked, we didn’t know just how many of us were using them – or which platforms are most popular in NZ.
Now we do!
News item: UMR Research 2019 - Online video services
News item: Breaking Down Porn
05 December 2019
We harvested the top 200 most viewed videos from Pornhub in New Zealand over the past year on a single date for our content analysis, Breaking Down Porn. This page provides a summarised version of the key findings.
Download the full report - Breaking Down Porn (PDF, 1.2 MB)
News item: Breaking Down Porn
News item: How to talk with young people about pornography
18 April 2020 (updated post)
Read our latest research Growing up with Porn here.
In today’s digital world, it’s no surprise that many young people come across pornography. This page contains advice and answers to frequently asked questions for parents and whānau who want to talk with their young people about pornography.
News item: Breaking Down Porn - An analysis of commonly viewed porn in NZ
05 December 2019
New research shows that while the most popular porn in New Zealand is not highly aggressive there is a concerning trend of people watching step-porn.
The Classification Office today released its analysis of the 200 most popular videos that New Zealanders watch on mainstream porn site Pornhub. Last year the Office released the first stage of its Youth and Porn research and further research is underway which will be released next year.
News item: Breaking Down Porn - An analysis of commonly viewed porn in NZ
News item: Two terrorist publications banned
31 October 2019
Two publications designed to encourage people to commit terrorist acts against innocent people and minority groups have been banned, Chief Censor David Shanks announced today.
The document said to have been shared by the terrorist who killed two people in Halle, Germany earlier this month has been classified as objectionable under the Films, Videos & Publications Classification Act 1993. Also banned is a video game that puts the player in the role of a killer called ‘Brenton Torrent’ with the game play consisting solely of the murder of defenceless people.
News item: Two terrorist publications banned
News item: German livestream video classified objectionable
10 October 2019
Chief Censor David Shanks has classified the 35 minute long livestream of fatal shootings overnight in Halle, Germany, as objectionable.
At least two people were killed in the attacks, one outside a synagogue and the other in a kebab shop, in separate shootings on Wednesday in Germany, overnight in New Zealand. The attacker livestreamed this attack on gaming site Twitch.
News item: When censorship becomes necessary: David Shanks at TEDxChristchurch
01 October 2019
A few weeks ago Chief Censor David Shanks spoke about the complexities of our work – and its personal impact – at TEDxChristchurch. If you want to know more about what we do, and how we do it, have a look (You might be surprised).
News item: When censorship becomes necessary: David Shanks at TEDxChristchurch
Chief Censor supports kiwi classifications on streamed content
11 September 2019
New Zealanders will get better and more consistent information to make informed decisions about what they are watching under changes the Government announced today, Chief Censor David Shanks says.
Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin said commercial video on demand content from services like Netflix and and Lightbox would come under the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993. They would be able to self-classify within a New Zealand framework.
Chief Censor supports kiwi classifications on streamed content
News item: Media and suicide – Don’t Look Away
26 August 2019
Media and suicide – Don’t Look Away.
Today’s suicide statistics serve as a reminder of the very real and tragic human cost of the problems we face with suicide in New Zealand. This is a complex issue, but is one that can be turned around with a commitment to a good strategy, Chief Censor David Shanks says.
News item: Media and suicide – Don’t Look Away
News item: 13 Reasons Why Season 3 Episode Guide
23 August 2019
Young people know the issues in 13 Reasons Why are also issues in Aotearoa. They’re already talking with each other about many of the themes in 13 Reasons Why, including suicide, rape, drug use and bullying. It’s important for adults to join those conversations to provide guidance and support if our young people need it.
Although it can feel hard to kōrero about the tough stuff, it’s important that we can all have safe, open, honest and compassionate kōrero about these difficult issues so our rangatahi feel heard, supported and understood.
Let them know you are there to kōrero whenever they are ready. They might not be ready right now – that’s OK. Keep checking in, and make sure they know of a number of different people and places they can turn to.
News item: 13 Reasons Why Season 3 Episode Guide
News item: OIA information relating to Christchurch attacks
18 April 2019
This page contains material that has been released under the Official Information Act regarding the recent decisions to classify as objectionable both the Christchurch Mosque Attack Livestream video and The Great Replacement (so called manifesto).
News item: Christchurch attacks classification information
23 March 2019
This page contains the press releases from the Classification Office regarding the March 15 terrorist attack in Christchurch. It also includes advice for members of the public.
News item: OFLC Response to Christchurch – What You Can Do
18 March 2019
Like the rest of New Zealand, our hearts are with NZ’s Islamic community and all those affected in Christchurch. We grieve with them and stand with them. In light of Friday’s tragic events, with footage of the incident going viral, we, along with a number of other agencies have been working diligently to respond quickly and remove this footage from social platforms. We’ve been heartened to see so many others online encouraging their communities not to watch and share.
News item: Steam makes Rape Day unavailable
08 March 2019
This week we received a number of complaints from the public regarding the possibility of the online game Rape Day being made available in NZ via the gaming platform Steam. This morning Steam representatives stated this would not be the case, and the game will not be distributed anywhere via their platform.
Their full statement can be found here.
News item: Steam makes Rape Day unavailable
Media release: Young people and porn - the real story
05 December 2018
For many children and young people in Aotearoa today, porn can be as close as the nearest phone.
We now know over two thirds of 14 to 17-year-olds have been exposed to porn. One in four have seen porn before the age of 12 – mostly by accident, or by having it shown to them.
Seventy-two percent of teens who have viewed porn recently saw things that made them feel uncomfortable; and 42 percent of regular viewers would like to spend less time looking at porn – BUT they find this hard to do.
Media release: Young people and porn - the real story
Research: NZ Youth and Porn
05 December 2018
We surveyed more than 2,000 New Zealanders aged 14-17 for the research project NZ Youth and Porn: Research findings of a survey on how and why young New Zealanders view online pornography. This page provides a summarised version of the key findings.
Research: NZ Youth and Porn
Media release: Evidence coming on impacts of pornography on young New Zealanders
04 November 2018
Chief Censor David Shanks welcomes the public discussion that will follow TVNZ’s Sunday item tonight about the impacts on young people of viewing online pornography, but warns that decisions on how to tackle the issue must be based on evidence.
The Office of Film and Literature Classification, headed by the Chief Censor, is planning to release the findings of a major research project NZ Youth and Porn in early December.
Media release: Evidence coming on impacts of pornography on young New Zealanders
Media release: Major survey to provide evidence of young New Zealanders’ experience of porn
10 August 2018
A major research project studying how and why young New Zealanders are viewing pornography today will put the experiences of teenagers at the centre of the debate about internet porn, says Chief Censor David Shanks.
The project, Youth and Porn – how and why young New Zealanders are viewing pornography has just been launched by the Office of Film & Literature Classification (Classification Office).
Chief Censor David Shanks says the aim of the research is to get real evidence directly from teens themselves, so that any policy changes can be properly informed.
Media release: Major survey to provide evidence of young New Zealanders’ experience of porn
News item: 13 Reasons Why Season 2 Episode Guide
18 May 2018
Young people know the issues in 13 Reasons Why are also issues in Aotearoa. They’re already talking with each other about many of the themes in 13 Reasons Why, including suicide, rape, drug use and bullying. It’s important for adults to join those conversations to provide guidance and support if our young people need it.
Although it can feel hard to kōrero about the tough stuff, it’s important that we can all have safe, open, honest and compassionate kōrero about these difficult issues so our rangatahi feel heard, supported and understood.
Let them know you are there to kōrero whenever they are ready. They might not be ready right now – that’s OK. Keep checking in, and make sure they know of a number of different people and places they can turn to.
News item: 13 Reasons Why Season 2 Episode Guide
Media release: Chief Censor applies RP18 classification to 13 Reasons Why Season 2
16 May 2018
The Chief Censor David Shanks warns parents and caregivers of vulnerable children and teenagers to be prepared for the release of Netflix’s Season 2 release of 13 Reasons Why scheduled to screen this week on Friday, May 18, at 7pm.
The Office of Film and Literature Classification consulted with the Mental Health Foundation in classifying 13 Reasons Why: Season 2 as RP18 with a warning that it contains rape, suicide themes, drug use, and bullying.
“There is a strong focus on rape and suicide in Season 2, as there was in Season 1. We have told Netflix it is really important to warn NZ audiences about that,” says David.
“Rape is an ugly word for an ugly act. But young New Zealanders have told us that if a series contains rape – they want to know beforehand.”
Media release: Chief Censor applies RP18 classification to 13 Reasons Why Season 2
News item: Talking with young people about what they’re watching
09 April 2018
This guide is for parents with teenagers. It has practical advice to help you:
- Share and talk about entertainment media with your teen
- Encourage them to think critically about what they view
- Talk about sensitive or complex issues
- Support your teen if they’re distressed by something they’ve watched
You can’t control everything young people see, but you can build their confidence by giving them tools to help deal with challenging media.
News item: Talking with young people about what they’re watching
Media release: It's not everyone's fiction
09 March 2018
‘It’s not everyone’s fiction. Be careful what you share.’
That’s the message two 15-year-old Wellington filmmakers, Finn Culver and Grace Medlicott, want everybody to take notice of in a new social media film they’ve created on behalf of the Classification Office.
The short film, which Grace produced and Finn directed, focuses on the ways that personal experiences shape individual responses to media – and what’s ok for one person might not automatically be ok for another. Grace describes it as “centering on the… idea that somebody wants their friend to watch something that they are not comfortable watching.”
The new film is part of our ‘Minds Over Media’ campaign encouraging young people to ‘Watch carefully – think critically’ when consuming entertainment media.
Media release: It's not everyone's fiction
News item: Surviving and thriving in the digital age
07 December 2017
Our Briefing to the Incoming Minister, the Honourable Tracey Martin, presents the key classification and resilience challenges facing New Zealanders in this digital age, and our plans to address these through a radically revised approach.
We've summarised some of our thoughts from the Briefing in this post.
News item: Surviving and thriving in the digital age
Media release: Parents 'need to know' about new Netflix release To The Bone
13 July 2017
New Zealand’s Chief Censor has just released an official classification and warning for the new Netflix movie, To The Bone, which launches here on Netflix today.
The film is about eating disorders and focuses on a 20-year-old woman played by Lily Collins as she struggles to overcome a long-term, near fatal case of anorexia. After consulting with frontline experts on eating disorders, the Classification Office has applied an RP16 classification, with an accompanying note “shows realistic, harmful behaviour with risk of imitation”.
Media release: Parents 'need to know' about new Netflix release To The Bone
Research: Young New Zealanders Viewing Sexual Violence - Stage 3
04 July 2017
This report is the third and final component of a wider Classification Office research project that seeks to fill the identified gap in current research by giving young New Zealanders, frontline agencies, and sexual violence experts a voice to describe the effects of depictions of sexual violence in mainstream entertainment media.
This phase of the research involved 24 paired interviews with 48 young people aged 13 to 18 from around New Zealand.
Research: Young New Zealanders Viewing Sexual Violence - Stage 3
Blog post: What does 'RP' mean?
02 May 2017 (updated post)
The RP classification label is not used very often and many people are unfamiliar with its meaning. This page explains what the RP13 and RP16 classification labels mean.
Blog post: What does 'RP' mean?
Media release: Censor - guidance essential for teens watching 13 Reasons Why
27 April 2017
The Classification Office has created a new RP18 rating specifically for the popular Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. The classification recognises that teens are watching and will continue to watch the series, while signalling the strong content and emphasising the essential role of parents and caregivers in discussing this material with young people in their care.
Media release: Censor - guidance essential for teens watching 13 Reasons Why
Research: Young New Zealanders Viewing Sexual Violence - Stage 2
12 April 2017
This report is the second component of our research and consultation project exploring the effects on young people of viewing sexual violence in mainstream commercial media such as movies, TV shows, and games. This phase of the research involved 46 participants from 20 different organisations including NGOs, government officials, academics and others.
Research: Young New Zealanders Viewing Sexual Violence - Stage 2
Research: Children and teen exposure to media content
03 February 2017
The Classification Office commissioned UMR to survey New Zealanders about media content. Results indicate there is widespread public concern about content such as sex and violence in entertainment media, particularly amongst parents. The representative survey of 1000 adult New Zealanders also identified a number of specific harms relating to young people’s exposure to this content. The results support previous research showing the importance of classifications for making wise viewing choices.
Media release: Chief Censor publishes research about sexual violence in media
30 November 2016
For the past few months, the Classification Office has been providing a service on our public website for people to check whether the free to air television shows that they wish to watch have previously been given an official rating or classification. In the process of compiling this information, the Classification Office became concerned about a couple of instances of potentially harmful, violent and/or sexual material displayed on free to air television at times and in ways that appeared to contravene broadcasting standards.
This page explains the concerns of the Classification Office and the outcome of the broadcasting complaints process.
Media release: Chief Censor publishes research about sexual violence in media
Research: Young New Zealanders Viewing Sexual Violence
30 November 2016
This report is the first component of our research and consultation project exploring the effects of viewing sexual violence in mainstream commercial media such as movies, TV shows and games. In early 2016 Colmar Brunton held a number of focus groups with teenagers and this is a full report of findings. The research is unique in that it addresses young people's own understandings of sexual violence in media entertainment.
Media release: Chief Censor publishes research about sexual violence in media
Media release: R18 for Don't Breathe upheld on review
22 September 2016
The Film and Literature Board of Review has today upheld the Chief Censor's R18 classification of the film Don't Breathe, due to hit cinemas this week. The classification also carries the warning "Contains violence, sexual violence and offensive language".
Chief Censor Dr Andrew Jack welcomes the Board of Review decision, stating that it helps increase New Zealanders’ awareness of violent entertainment and supports their right to choose what they and their families are exposed to. Dr Jack says the Classification Office is viewing an increasing amount of horrific and gratuitous sexual violence in mainstream entertainment targeting young people.
Media release: R18 for Don't Breathe upheld on review
News item: Recent complaints about violence and sexual material on free to air television
29 August 2016 (updated post)
For the past few months, the Classification Office has been providing a service on our public website for people to check whether the free to air television shows that they wish to watch have previously been given an official rating or classification. In the process of compiling this information, the Classification Office became concerned about a couple of instances of potentially harmful, violent and/or sexual material displayed on free to air television at times and in ways that appeared to contravene broadcasting standards.
This page explains the concerns of the Classification Office and the outcome of the broadcasting complaints process.
News item: Recent complaints about violence and sexual material on free to air television
Media release: Classification Office to consult with community about sexual violence in entertainment media
06 July 2016
This media release is about our upcoming research into young people's views about depictions of sexual violence in movies, shows and games.
The first part of the qualitative research involved focus groups with teenagers, conducted by Colmar Brunton. A report on the findings from this initial survey is expected to be released in the coming months.
Media release: Classification Office to consult with community about sexual violence in entertainment media
Media release: Chief Censor releases comprehensive survey of media use in New Zealand
01 July 2016
This media release accompanied the publication of our survey about media use and perceptions of the classification system. Research shows that the classifications currently used for films, videos, and other publications are trusted, reliable, and preferred by New Zealanders for a platform neutral classification system of the future.
Media release: Chief Censor releases comprehensive survey of media use in New Zealand
Research: Changing media use and public perceptions of the classification system
30 June 2016
We commissioned Colmar Brunton to carry out a survey of the public's views about, and understanding of, the classification system - and about New Zealanders' changing media use habits. This representative survey of 1,000 people found that New Zealanders continue to have a high level of trust in the classification system, despite a rapidly changing entertainment media environment. This research follows on from similar research conducted in 2006 and 2011.
Research: Changing media use and public perceptions of the classification system
Featured decision: The Office has classified a number of Wicked campervans
09 June 2016 (updated post)
The Classification Office has classified nine Wicked campervans so far. Five have been classified as Objectionable - this means it is illegal for anyone to supply, own, or possess the vans in New Zealand. Four have been classified as Unrestricted.
Featured decision: The Office has classified a number of Wicked campervans
Blog post: What does R13 mean?
03 March 2016 (updated post)
Recently there have been a few films and games released with R13 classifications. This page explains what the R13 classification means.
Blog post: What does R13 mean?
Research: New Zealanders want one classification system for movies, TV shows and games
29 February 2016
The Government is currently undertaking a review of content classification in New Zealand, with one potential outcome being that all content could use the same set of content warnings or classifications in the future, regardless of format or medium. Results of recent research by UMR commissioned by the Classification Office indicate there is widespread public support for one classification system for all entertainment content.
Research: New Zealanders want one classification system for movies, TV shows and games
Research: Attitudes towards classification labels - 2015
01 December 2015
It's important for the Classification Office to keep up to date with how New Zealanders think about and use the classification system. This is why we asked UMR Research to include some questions from us in their October 2015 Online Omnibus survey. A representative sample of 1000 New Zealanders 18 years of age and over participated in the survey.
We asked how people are guided by restricted classifications when making viewing choices. We also asked if people would like to see these classification labels on TV. There was wide support for this.
News item: Submission on the Government discussion paper Content Regulation in a Converged World
16 October 2015
The Classification Office has made a submission in response to the Government's discussion document Content Regulation in a Converged World (published on 25 August, 2015).
The Classification Office submission - Balancing Freedom of Expression with Public Safety in a Digital Age - sets out the essential elements of a more modern regulatory regime for entertainment and information and suggests areas where changes to the current regulatory arrangements may be required in both the short and longer term.
News item: Submission on the Government discussion paper Content Regulation in a Converged World
Blog post: We've launched our new website for students
22 July 2015
Providing quality, relevant and updated content for students has long been a focus of ours. Students and young people generally are some of our most important stakeholders - they're big consumers of entertainment media and are directly affected by our classification decisions in a way that adults aren't. We try to do as much as we can to help young people understand the system, and also to encourage them to comply with classifications when choosing content for themselves and people younger than them.
Blog post: We've launched our new website for students
Blog post: What does 'M' mean?
20 May 2015 (updated post)
It's one of our most frequently-asked questions, so we've written a blog post that we update regularly. The M label on films and DVDs - explained.
A movie, TV series or a game with an M rating can be sold or supplied to anyone. It is an unrestricted classification. This page explains what the M rating means using M movies as an example. It is important to remember that M means the same thing whether it's on a cinema film, a DVD, an online movie, a game, or an online television episode. The M rating indicates that the movie is more suited to a mature audience.
Blog post: What does 'M' mean?
Page: Plain English Guide to the Offence Provisions updated
14 May 2015
We have updated our Plain English Guide to the Offence Provisions to incorporate recent amendments to the Classification Act.
News item: Our video Public Service Announcements
01 August 2014
A library of PSAs produced by the Classification Office on video.
Videos include:
- Wise Choices for the school holidays
- Wise Choices for that special someone
- Wise Choices for your teenage gamers
- Wise Choices for you and your bros
- Wise Choices for the whole family
- Red Means Restricted cinema ad
News item: Our video Public Service Announcements
Media release: Young People's Perceptions research
04 November 2013
Chief Censor Andrew Jack spoke in support of research published by his office this week that found that many young New Zealanders are critical of the system of legal restrictions operating in this country for films and games.
The research was conducted with the assistance of Colmar Brunton Social Research Agency and is freely available on our research page.
Media release: Young People's Perceptions research
News item: Resources for retailers and cinema operators
01 November 2013
We have distributed 1,000 posters of the Red Means Restricted flyer for retailers and cinemas to display at the point-of-sale to assist customer understanding of legal restrictions on games and films.
News item: Resources for retailers and cinema operators
News item: 2012 changes to the Classification Act
02 October 2012
From 1 October 2012 there are several changes to the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993, and the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Regulations 1994. Read about them in this article.
News item: 2012 changes to the Classification Act
Research: Understanding the Classification System: New Zealanders' Views
24 June 2011
In June 2006 the Classification Office published a new research report. Aspects of the research may be of particular interest to parents of children and young people, members of the entertainment industry, government departments and media students. This new research shows that the public remain supportive of the classification system, and value the services provided by the Classification Office.
Research: Understanding the Classification System: New Zealanders' Views
News item: Historical Records Database project
20 December 2010
Classification decisions are legally binding unless superseded by a new decision from the Classification Office. They are also a matter of public record, and the Classification Office wants to make them publically accessible. In a project begun in September 2009 the Classification Office has been adding and updating records from the registers of the old Office of the Chief Censor of Films (CCF) in order to achieve this aim. When this work is completed, New Zealand will have a complete censorship database dating back to the 1920s.
News item: Historical Records Database project
