Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993

Classification of publications - Interim classification assessments

22D: No action to lie against service providers and online content hosts

You could also call this:

"Protection for online service providers and content hosts from legal action"

Illustration for Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993

You are protected if you are a service provider or an online content host. You will not be in trouble with the law if you remove or stop people in New Zealand from seeing something online that is being checked. This is because you are immune from civil and criminal liability if you do this. You need to know what some words mean. An online content host is explained in section 119A and section 119B. An online publication is explained in section 119A. A service provider is explained in section 122A. If you follow the rules, you will be okay.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS637461.

This page was last updated on 8 December 2025 — View changes

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22C: No action to lie against officials, or

"Officials are protected when doing their job honestly"

23: Examination and classification, or

"How the Classification Office checks and rates films and publications"

Part 3Classification of publications
Interim classification assessments

22DNo action to lie against service providers and online content hosts

A service provider or an online content host is immune from civil and criminal liability if they remove, or prevent access by the public in New Zealand to, an online publication that is the subject of an interim classification assessment.
In this section,—
online content host has the meaning given in section 119A as qualified by section 119B
online publication has the meaning given in section 119A
service provider has the meaning given in section 122A.

Compare

1993 No 94 ss 119, 137

Notes

Section 22D: inserted, on 1 February 2022, by section 9 of the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification (Urgent Interim Classification of Publications and Prevention of Online Harm) Amendment Act 2021 (2021 No 43).