Online Exposure: Experiences of Extreme or Illegal Content in Aotearoa

This report presents findings from a nationally representative survey of adults in Aotearoa New Zealand on exposure to extreme or potentially illegal online content. It explores what people report seeing, how they understand the legal threshold, and what they do (or don’t do) when they encounter concerning content. The report is intended to support clearer public understanding of objectionable content under New Zealand law, and to inform practical guidance for reporting and harm reduction. 

Key findings

• Most New Zealanders are aware that some content is illegal, but many are unsure about what might cross the legal line: 55% feel they have a limited understanding, and 4% feel highly informed.
• Seeing extreme or illegal content is common: 66% report having seen this type of material at some point; 38% have seen three or more categories, and 19% have seen five or more.
• Exposure is often unintentional, and actively looking for this content is rare: among those who had seen this content in the last 12 months, around half saw it on a website when they weren’t looking for it (48%) or in their social media feed (47%); only 4% actively searched for it.
• Some experience significant harm: of those exposed in the past year, 27% reported harm, and 44% of those affected described the impact as very or extremely harmful (around 11% of New Zealanders experiencing some harm; 5% serious harm).
• Many think it’s hard to avoid and a growing problem: 49% agree it’s impossible to avoid, and 78% think exposure will increase over time.
• Most people take steps to avoid it, but few report to official agencies: 74% took at least one action to avoid future exposure; 7% reported to Netsafe and 1% to Police (and 1% to other government agencies).

Content warning

This report includes discussions of harmful online content, including content that is illegal in New Zealand. This includes references to suicide, child sexual abuse material, violent extremist content, and graphic violence. The report does not include detailed descriptions of this content, but the topics discussed are highly sensitive and may be distressing or upsetting for some readers.

Related Resources

• More harmful and harder to avoid: What New Zealanders are seeing online (blog)
• What is harmful and illegal content?
• What is Grok?
• AI‑Generated Content: When Is It Illegal in New Zealand?
• How to Report Harmful or Illegal Online Content in New Zealand

Related research reports

• Content that Crosses the Line: Conversations with young people about extremely harmful content online | Classification Office
• Online Misogyny and Violent Extremism: Understanding the Landscape | Classification Office
• What We're Watching | Classification Office
• What We're Watching: Part 2 | Classification Office