Our Service

Netsafe provides free and confidential advice and support to people in New Zealand seven days a week.  Each week we answer about 450 requests for help related to online safety topics including bullying, grooming, illegal content and scams. We also provide support to schools and kura under a contract with the Ministry of Education.

If you are concerned about the immediate safety of you or someone else, please call 111.

The Netsafe service

The diagram below explains how Netsafe’s service works after you have submitted a report. When you make a report, our team will determine if your report relates to the Harmful Digital Communications Act (HDCA) or another online safety area.

If we believe your report may relate to the HDCA, one of our team will be in contact to understand more about what has happened. We will let you know what resolution options may be available and outline how we can help resolve the harm.

If your report does not fall within the remit of the Act, Netsafe can still provide advice and guidance.

Netsafe will not do anything without your consent.

Protecting your privacy

We take great care to balance the privacy rights of the people we deal with against our need to effectively carry out our functions and meet our legal obligations, and keeping people safe. We may need to share personal information about you, but we will only ever do so when we believe it is really necessary. You can read more about our privacy approach here.

Helping people in all languages

Netsafe has partnered with ezispeak to ensure we can help people from a variety of backgrounds. If English isn’t your first language just let us know which language you’d like to communicate in and will arrange for an ezispeak person to help.

FAQs

I don’t know if what I’m experiencing is serious enough. Can Netsafe help me? Netsafe can help with all online incidents or direct you to someone who can if we aren’t the right people.

Can I contact Netsafe on behalf of someone else? Yes, we can provide you with advice, but Netsafe can’t act unless the person impacted agrees to it. Parent, guardian or caregivers can report to us and educators can contact Netsafe on behalf of a student.

I’m a young person and I’m not quite sure what to do – can you help? Yes, we can. You can call, text 4282 or complete an online contact form. You can choose whether you want us to call you back, or just email you.

I’m on holiday in New Zealand – can you still help me? Yes, anyone in New Zealand can contact us for help.

What if the person causing me harm is overseas? Netsafe can provide you with advice about the options available to you.

Will Netsafe refer me to other people? If Netsafe can’t assist you, we can refer you to people who might be better able to help.

GET HELP

Netsafe helps people and schools in New Zealand experiencing harmful content online. Our service is free and confidential, and we provide specialist incident advice.

Report harmful content

  • Text ‘Netsafe’ to 4282
  • Email [email protected]
  • Call toll free on 0508 NETSAFE (0508 638 723)
  • Online report form at netsafe.org.nz/report

Our contact centre is open 8am – 8pm weekdays and 9am – 5pm on weekends and public holidays.