An Internet that benefits

How might we ensure the Internet uplifts Māori and exemplifies good Treaty partnership?

There is nowhere in the world like Aotearoa New Zealand. The challenges and opportunities of this land are unique — as our responses must be. Māori sovereignty and safety in the online world is an area of particular concern. At the same time, te ao Māori offers rich ways of thinking about the world, and about how humans connect well with each other.

What tikanga is needed in the digital realm? What does ‘an Internet that benefits’ mean when seen through a Te Tiriti lens? How and where might this be woven into all thinking about an Internet that is better for all? What can be done and learned here that can be learned nowhere else in the world?

“How do we protect te ao Māori and make sure people don’t make money from things that belong to Māori? Who has ownership of our culture?”

“On benefits I’m very high, especially for Māori — for example with tangihanga. There can be some competition with tikanga sometimes but being able to see people over COVID was important, especially for families overseas.”

“Tikanga can be put into the Internet. Like with recording tangihanga.”  

“In the future Māori need to create our own Internet, to keep our own people safe. That’s what I want to see, a Māori Internet.” 

“I use it for being in contact with whānau, Google, learning, posting about family life. I’m always taking knowledge from the Internet.” 

How might we lay strong foundations for an unknown future?

The Internet has become an essential component of modern life, and is likely to continue to be so long into the future. What it ‘is’ and what it ‘offers’ however, is always evolving. Conversations suggest that levels of trust, understanding and enthusiasm across different communities and age groups vary extensively when it comes to the Internet. Most people can easily articulate the benefits of the Internet as they experience them, but also express discomfort around some of the elements that might be enabling these benefits.

How might we better equip ourselves and future generations to live well with the Internet? What can be done to make the Internet a more trustworthy place for more people as the digital realm continues to develop?

“We cannot divorce this ourselves from this situation because this is how we live now.
Our lives are intertwined with digital technology. We’re just connected now. Whether or not you’re a willing participant you will be forced to participate unless you completely disassociate yourself from modern life”

“The Internet isn’t always accurate, but I can connect with my family, do online banking and Zoom meetings. You can do anything on the Internet. But my trust is low. The creators of it all, you don’t know their intentions.” 

“I can do whatever I want and it comes right to my door — so the benefits are high. It’s up to you what you put up there. The Internet has major benefits and I couldn’t live without it. If we could change anything, less ads.” 

“The Internet is constantly evolving. Society has also evolved a lot — and people — and what’s appropriate/inappropriate has changed.”  

“I don’t trust it — whoever runs the Internet can see what you do on there. But there are lots of benefits.” 

“I’m high on the benefits. I see all the different ways it helps whānau — ever since it’s been around. Like passive income... I’ve learned a lot and benefited a lot. I know I’m an optimist. I know there are dark forces but I try not to think too much about them.”

“You can learn stuff, find places, communicate with people but — nah, I don’t trust it.”

“The Internet helps my daughter meet people that she can’t in real life.” 

“The benefits are connecting with friends and family, and making you famous! Trust — well it’s up to you and what you upload — cos it stays there on the Internet forever. I reckon I’m pretty safe, I watch what I post. It’s common sense really. The Internet could be better though — in terms of protection.”

“The Internet can be good in ways — it connects you to whānau, you can order food and find out anything you want to. But I kind of don’t trust it cos some people can hack into your private stuff and abuse you on the Internet. People can pretend to be you and all you can do is ignore it.” 

“The fact that that data is being collected and analysed makes me uncomfortable inherently.”

“Benefits for me personally are pretty high, but I don’t trust it. There are also benefits for the dodgy people.”  

“In the end, it is a resource. It’s super neutral, you could do good or you could do bad — it’s up to the person using it.”

How might we adapt and learn to navigate it well?

The Internet is fundamentally changing society — enabling and challenging us in innumerable ways. We are becoming more connected, and at the same time less present. There is more we can access, but some of us struggle to access any of it. There are many benefits, but often with many hidden costs.

What can we do as individuals, organisations and communities to adapt our mindsets, our behaviours and our social norms accordingly?

“It affects people psychologically. How do we future proof our people? We have two worlds now — online and offline. How do we bring up the next generation well balanced? We need to start young. We’re going away from face-to-face engagements — but nothing can take the place of that. Nothing can take the place of our real world.”

“Tech always changes us. The Internet is a whakawhanaungatanga killer — when you’re in the same room — and it’s an enabler if you’re apart.” 

“There are benefits — it’s a business tool, a place to learn things and find out information. You can even communicate in other languages without learning them. But maybe getting all the answers without learning anything is not a good thing.” 

“When we talk about responsibility, a large portion of it is personal responsibility, but when does it begin to be the governments responsibility?”  

“I want to understand the addiction side of the Internet. Our rangatahi are so entrenched in the Internet…we weren’t brought up like that.”

“Adults try to be children and children try to be adults.”

“Everyone’s risk appetite is different. The younger generation are growing up digital. They grew up with social media and technology in their hands since they were kids. They didn’t know anything about the pre-Internet world. They have no idea what it feels like to live in a world where you’re not being tracked all the time.” 

“The Internet is just a piece of wire, but there are people at each end. It’s the people and their behaviour we can’t control. Every time something new is built — people will always find a way around it. Beginning by not trusting is the best way to deal with it.”

“I agree about switching it off sometimes. Could there be a thing that turns off on Tuesdays? A kind of Internet ‘sabbath’?” 

“Our tamariki love the tool that has been provided to upskill them, but human nature has taught us we can be quite terrible to ourselves.”  

“I have a view that if someone threw a switch — the Internet would mean nothing. It’s not going to teach you how to survive in the bush, find kai and water. For me, with my feet on the ground I know what it takes to survive and I live in that world.”

How might we minimise harm on the Internet, especially for those who are most vulnerable?

People’s experience with the Internet can vary wildly. Many people have experienced harm in online environments, or hold strong concerns for those who may be more vulnerable. It may be the case that a truly ‘safe’ Internet is an impossibility.

What then can be done to make it safer than it currently is? Whose responsibility is it to do so? And how might we act to better protect those who are most at risk?

“My ideal would be for something that is monitored, easy to access and free — all the good stuff without the ads and the danger, but with the same convenience and accessibility. A place where parents don’t have to worry.”

“There is a lot of bullying on social media and the Internet, and sometimes it leads to young people going and hurting themselves, which is extremely sad.” 

“We need more social justice: protecting people who are on the Internet, especially people
with disabilities.” 

“I worry about what kids are looking at online. I wish I knew how to monitor that better. I try to have regular conversations, ask them what they are looking at and listening to.” 

“There’s a lack of security and safety. There are all these adult layers. There are grooming tools that my kids can’t assimilate. They don’t understand what’s going on — there’s leakage. I don’t know what to do to control it. We have to be connected, but age appropriateness is harder to control on the Internet than in real life.” 

“You’re vulnerable online as much as you are offline.” 

“There’s a strong commercial side to the Internet  — they want all the details of people and for everything to be open. That’s what makes it hard to keep it safe.”

“I’m all for freedom of speech… but what does it mean when it’s inciting violence against minority groups? Misinformation shapes perceptions towards minority groups and creates the opposite environment to one that engenders a safe space and values diversity and inclusion.” 

“I’ve grown up in South Auckland where there is a high police presence. If you’re in these vulnerable communities and vulnerable locations you’re more prone to being targeted. We get targeted through things like the Internet, it’s like racial profiling.” 

“[The Internet] has its negatives too. Like the police  — if they want to find me that can go on my profile and snoop into my private life. They can find out who your associates are. It’s way too public. I don’t know how to protect myself online or change my privacy settings. People can tap into my personal information.” 

“A governing body that could create safety criteria would be useful. Otherwise disaster is coming. Or maybe we could pay a subscription to an Internet we could be sure was safe.”

“There needs to be more transparency on how the algorithms are being used to come up with the decisions. They have to explain what they’re doing. There’s no transparency.” 

“There’s ups and downs to the Internet for sure. I understand what you put on the Internet is up to you, but it should be a safe space — instead of worrying about what other people will do with the information.” 

How might we ensure everyone in Aotearoa can access the Internet with ease?

Access to the Internet has become a necessary part of modern life but barriers remain for many. Infrastructure must prioritise equity of access to services and tools — addressing barriers such as financial, cultural, physical, linguistic and generational exclusion as a priority.

How might we ensure all New Zealanders are able to access and fully participate in the online realm with equal ease? What interventions will enable the people of Aotearoa to be not only consumers of the benefits of the Internet, but active and engaged digital citizens?

“Access to the Internet should be reliable, cheap and safe. Reliable in terms of what we are sharing, where they’re using our data, what they are sharing and where. It has to be a cost effective, safe space. We should be comfortable using that space.”

“For rules we need something that is easy to access. It’s almost like consent is downloading the app.” 

“For things like terms and conditions, the language should be easily read, so that people understand what they’re signing up for. They know the audience that they are trying to target with apps, so they should keep up that level of safety for that audience as well.” 

“What I’ve been experiencing with the communities is that they don’t have access to devices. In lockdown it was extremely difficult for them, because the kids might have a Chromebook from school, but that was the only computer at home. I have lots of parents who say, ‘My kids are just not going to school because they can’t use the Internet, they can’t load it’, or that the child might want to use it and the parents go, ‘Can I use your computer instead?”

“We’re seeing a lot of the migrant groups find ways to teach themselves. They teach them things like using the banking apps, because a few of them are stressing out as the physical banks aren’t that accessible, and everything is online. It’s a lot of work. They just need someone to help them in their language and at an appropriate pace.” 

“There are issues around the accessibility of the Internet. It should be free. People should be able to use it without having to pay so many bills. Access to the Internet shouldn’t have a price on it. The revenue that is made is wrong. We need better infrastructure.” 

“Phones and things are expensive. It’s hard enough to buy books for school, now it’s all tablets and people just don’t have that sort of money. And then things go out of date quickly.”  

“When I buy a new computer I always have to buy all the software that goes with it. You shouldn’t have to pay for all the extras. Technology is expensive. They are amazing devices, but they are also expensive to run and maintain. I have chromebooks for all six kids but I can’t afford the virus software. It costs us $100 a month for Internet access.” 

“In a lot of our former refugee and migrant communities, the language barrier is huge so that would have to be a big consideration. Accessibility would have to be free. Who would be the best person to deliver? Would it be government responsibility or community groups?” 

How might a greater diversity of people in Aotearoa be part of shaping the Internet?

Power is not evenly distributed on the Internet. Some people and communities are poorly represented when it comes to how, when and where decisions are made. If Aotearoa is a multicultural society built on a bicultural foundation, how might our Internet better represent and reflect this?

What supports will enable a greater diversity of voices to be heard where it matters? How might we enable more agency and power for all users of the Internet, whatever their background?

“I want something that is equitable, ethical and has a strong sense of empathy. An online space that enables positive online connected communities and a sense of belonging.” 

“Not until the Internet becomes more collectivist will it feel OK — at the moment we are giving everything away.” 

“A lot of people don’t understand our special needs people are just the same but with different needs.” 

“A lot of the voices are the loudest voices and don’t seem to come from those who are most impacted by a lot of decisions made in the online space. We need to get  them involved.” 

“On our marae and at the urupā you can take pictures and post them.  Each hapū and iwi can make their own rules. We need to have some guidelines to keep our people and our mokopuna safe.”

“I would say this Internet thing is not my generation’s thing. These things are to me like a burden. But for my kids, they are now grown up, and they control everything — my bank account, my password, everything, they remember for me and I leave it to them.”

How might we improve digital literacy and education in Aotearoa?

Many people feel under-equipped to make the most of the Internet, whilst keeping themselves and others safe while they do so. The attractions of the Internet are many, yet the skills and knowledge required to ensure safety and security online can be hard to access.

How might we enable better — and ongoing — education for all users of the Internet? Whose role is it to provide and manage this education? What role might there be for intergenerational learning? In a rapidly evolving environment, where is there a duty of care incumbent on organisational or state actors, and where is the onus on individuals to consider personal responsibility?

“I think we’re in a funny generation where we are educating up and down. We were born into technology, whereas the younger ones are born into the Internet, and our parents are neither. We have the best of both worlds to navigate and support.” 

“Increasing people’s digital literacy. So many parents, like my dad, didn’t get Facebook until a couple of years ago, and I had to be the one teaching him… So it’s sort of a reverse education.” 

“The Ministry of Education should provide expert advice and guidance, co-designed with parents and students.” 

“I guess it’s about educating everyone about the risks of putting something out online and that it could go viral and shit can happen.” 

“It makes you think about, in terms of level of literacy and capability, whether they’re a child, or an an adult who has a language barrier, or just didn’t grow up with the Internet, how much of it do they require that to be imposed, because they don’t have that level of knowledge, capability and awareness. Do people need it to be imposed on them?” 

“Clarify and protect — those are the most important things. And awareness — that’s the biggest challenge.”

“Growing up in an ethnic household and an ethnically diverse community there are resources out there, but they’re not made or targeted to people who aren’t aware of how the Internet works. It’s quite hard to explain these new concepts to my mum and my dad, with my limited ability in their native language. It would be better to have resources that are available in a range of languages. Having resources that are inclusive and friendly.” 

“We need better education — about scams and what is real and what isn’t.”

“There are better ways to learn about the Internet than getting harassed online.”

Appendix 1

Scenarios

Keeping safe online

Digital footprints

Who’s responsible?

Acknowledgements

InternetNZ / Ipurangi Aotearoa, Toi Āria: Design for Public Good at Massey University and MEA: Making Everything Achievable gratefully acknowledge all those who participated in our hui and workshops. Thank you for your insights.

Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou kātoa

Literature Scan

The project started with a literature scan, undertaken by Antistatic in April 2022. This scan informed the design of the participatory research carried out by Toi Āria and MEA. The literature scan sought to build understanding around concepts of ‘an Internet for good’ and ‘an Internet that is better for people’. 

It pointed towards three key potential areas of enquiry. 

• A free and open Internet 
• Ensuring everyone can access the Internet
• Identifying and mitigating online harms

Engagements

With these insights in mind, we designed an engagement process that would help us hear from a wide range of people across Aotearoa.  Hearing from those whose voices are often missing from conversations about the Internet was a key part of our design focus. We actively sought to hear from tāngata whenua, Pacific peoples, people living with disability, LGBTQI+ communities, migrant and refugee communities and younger people.

Over the course of 12 months, Toi Āria and MEA hosted multiple conversations about the Internet both in person and online, involving over 140 people. These varied from open Kai & Kōrero sessions with whānau, to facilitated engagements using Toi Āria’s ‘Comfort Board’ methodology. In some cases these two processes were combined.

The Comfort Board

The Comfort Board methodology is a highly structured process that seeks to elicit the ‘lived experience’ of everyday people. It offers participants an engaging process for deliberation, acting as a catalyst for conversation. Founded on multiple, complex, layered scenarios it allowed for deep reflection on some of the key tensions and questions emerging from the literature scan. An outline of the scenarios used can be found in the Appendix.

Kai & Kōrero

Kai & Kōrero sessions were led by MEA and supported by Toi Āria. These kōrero-based sessions sought deeper engagement, and tended to focus on areas of particular importance for Māori.