The Speaker’s selective severity: Rules for Swarbrick, rank for Peters www.linkedin.com/pulse/speake... (LinkedIn) sanjanah.wordpress.com/2026/08/05/t... (WordPress) #nzpol
Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa
@sanjanah.bsky.social
Studying confluence of influence operations, disinfo, truth decay, information integrity & policies addressing online harms. Many thoughts, sometimes prayers.
Police investigate Tamaki over ‘heaven’s hit list’ video www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3610... #nzpol
Police investigate Tamaki over ‘heaven’s hit list’ video
The Destiny Church leader targeted government agencies, political parties, religions and more in his ‘Heaven’s hit list’.
stuff.co.nz
Australia’s eSafety commissioner buried a report (released Friday afternoon) that shows the under 16 social media ban didn’t tangibly reduce teen social media use, and also resulted in parents tuning out of kids usage. We traded our privacy for no reason. theconversation.com/more-than-80...
More than 80% of kids still using social media despite ban, new eSafety report finds
The report provides more evidence Australia’s world-leading social media ban isn’t going to plan.
theconversation.com
A senior figure in New Zealand First’s youth wing has been linked to a neo-Nazi group and online accounts that praised Adolf Hitler. Great work from @comingupcharlie.bsky.social www.thepress.co.nz/politics/361...
The wrong, dishonourable MPs: Targeted harassment in New Zealand’s legislature sanjanah.wordpress.com/2026/08/03/t... (WordPress) www.linkedin.com/pulse/wrong-... (LinkedIn) #nzpol
Who does Winston Peters inspire, and instigate? White supremacists, and those on the far-right who regularly promote the Christchurch killer's violent extremism - almost verbatim, week after week. #nzpol
‘The Great Replacement’ narratives on New Zealand’s Telegram account constellations: January to June 2026 www.linkedin.com/pulse/great-... (LinkedIn) sanjanah.wordpress.com/2026/08/03/t... (WordPress) #nzpol
In times like these, it’s important to pay attention to the grand unifying narratives ideas are hooking on to. Like that children are there to be controlled by adults, like babies and birth are commodities to be controlled by the state, like citizenship is a state more valuable than non-citizenship.
Good piece by @mohanjdutt.bsky.social | We must name racism when it happens e-tangata.co.nz/comment-and-... #nzpol
8 out of 10. That's more than the last study! It's increasing lol #nzpol www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/8...
Most Australian teens still on social media 3 months after under-16 ban began, study finds
More than eight in 10 Australian teenagers were still using social media three months after the government's landmark ban on the platforms for under-16s took effect because the tech firms failed to im...
rnz.co.nz
A Māori MP has drawn praise for defending New Zealand’s native language in a heated parliamentary debate - citing Wales as an example of a nation valuing its indigenous language and identity
‘English is a bastard language’: Māori MP praises Wales' bilingualism in passionate speech
Stephen Price A Māori MP has drawn praise for defending New Zealand’s native language in a heated parliamentary debate – citing Wales as an example of a nation valuing its indigenous language and iden...
nation.cymru
What could possibly go wrong.
Arestovich's Classic Facepalm
ALT: Arestovich's Classic Facepalm
static.klipy.com
Eliot Higgins@eliothiggins.bsky.social · 5d agoGoogle Earth, a tool often used as a source of satellite imagery to verify photos and videos, has added a feature that allows you to alter satellite imagery with AI, for reasons. blog.google/products-and...
'It hurts us': Auckland’s Chinese community slams Peters’ ‘go back to your own country’ insult
'It hurts us': Auckland’s Chinese community slams Peters’ ‘go back to your own country’ insult
Members of Auckland's Asian community have criticised Foreign Minister Winston Peters for telling a Chinese-born New Zealand MP to "go back to your own country" during a parliamentary debate.
rnz.co.nz
Dangerous speech, & misogyny against a wāhine Māori Green Party MP (who this year broke down when giving evidence on the sheer violence of online hate targeting her), and racism targeting a Green Party MP of Chinese descent. Why would anyone suffer this, day in, and day out? It's madness. #nzpol
A Once Outlawed Māori Art Form Is Alive and in the Flesh www.nytimes.com/2026/07/25/w... (Gift link) #nzpol
A Once Outlawed Māori Art Form Is Alive and in the Flesh (Gift Article)
Young Māori in New Zealand are embracing tā moko, the ritual tattoos that were banned under British colonial rule and became an act of protest in the 1970s.
nytimes.com
This article resonates with a policy brief I sent last week to the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, in the context of a social media ban for U-16s. Evidence-led policy, with strong, independent regulatory bodies, & platform transparency/accountability critical. sanjanah.wordpress.com/2026/07/30/c...
Children, harms, and rights: Policy brief for Prime Minister on proposed social media restrictions for under-16s in Sri Lanka
On 26 July 2026, the Sunday Times reported that a draft Online Protection for Children Bill “aimed at tackling social media additional among children” was to be presented to Cabinet. Th…
sanjanah.wordpress.com
Dr. Cassandra Mudgway@legallyfeminist.bsky.social · last wk.Some excellent discussion about alternatives to a social media ban for teens that's more likely to hold big tech accountable for harm #nzpol theconversation.com/the-jurys-ou...
Bird flu, and the manufacture of disbelief: A study of commentary from 16-27 July 2026 www.linkedin.com/pulse/bird-f... (LinkedIn) sanjanah.wordpress.com/2026/07/30/b... (WordPress) #nzpol
He’s clearly unwell, and if he were a family member we’d be talking about, & insisting on an urgent (mental) health intervention. With respect to the Greens, this is far more than a distraction - and it’s telling the Speaker didn’t intervene at all. www.stuff.co.nz/politics/361... #nzpol
Winston Peters launches tirade against Chinese-Kiwi Green MP
“This is called democracy, unlike what you're used to. So go back to where you come from, you loud mouth, and maybe you'll learn something,” Peters said.
stuff.co.nz
The far-right's targeting of InternetNZ is a timely, clear signal that they have already animated their networks, and agitated their supporters to vote. So should you. #nzpol
Paul Brislen@brislen.nz · last wk.Time to vote, InternetNZ members. It's a ranked system thing so have a look at the candidates and decide who you want helping steer the ship over the next three years.
New Zealand would also benefit a great deal from an adaptation of this. Media literacy in 60 minutes: how to help older Australians spot misinformation and find facts apo.org.au/node/334919 #nzpol @krveale.bsky.social
Given the toxic masculinity, and outright (kinetic) violence normalised by this cult, esp. by the sermons of its leader week after week, month after month, year after year, this is entirely unsurprising. This is from Feb 2025, www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/domestic-... It's got worse, since. #nzpol
Significant new report from UNESCO highlights the value of strong journalism, & underscores just how much of an economic impact disinformation has. | The value of journalism: global evidence on why media matters to economies, national security and crises unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/p... #nzpol
Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa@sanjanah.bsky.social · 2w agoImportantly, this report also establishes a clear policy gap between the Russia Sanctions Register, and the governance of the NZ Domain Name Commission, and @internetnz.nz. This gap is being actively weaponised. #nzpol
Sentencing the symptom, sparing the source: New Zealand Law Commission’s hate crime report www.linkedin.com/pulse/senten... (LinkedIn) sanjanah.wordpress.com/2026/07/23/s... (WordPress) #nzpol
Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa@sanjanah.bsky.social · 2w agoThe Law Commission's Hate Crime review is finally out. Has a dozen recommendations. www.lawcom.govt.nz/our-work/hat... #nzpol
By t/his logic, regularly, and openly invoking the Christchurch terrorist's violent extremism and white supremacism as well as espousing xenophobia, and racism are not 'distractions' - which, by extension, means they are integral to NZ First. Always good to know where folks stand. #nzpol
