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New Zealand law explained for everyone

Crimes Act 1961

Crimes against personal privacy - Intimate visual recordings

216J: Prohibition on publishing, importing, exporting, or selling intimate visual recording

You could also call this:

“It's against the law to share, bring in, take out, or sell private pictures or videos of people without their permission.”

You are not allowed to publish, import, export, or sell intimate visual recordings. If you do any of these things, knowing that the recording is intimate or not caring if it is, you could go to jail for up to 3 years.

Publishing means showing, sending, sharing, or storing the recording in a way that others can see it. This includes displaying it, sending it to someone, distributing it, sharing it electronically, or storing it so others can access it.

Selling means selling the recording in a physical form or electronically. This also includes offering to sell it or agreeing to sell it.

Remember, it’s against the law to do any of these things with intimate visual recordings. It’s important to respect people’s privacy and not share personal images without permission.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM329859.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Criminal law
Rights and equality > Privacy
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216I: Prohibition on possessing intimate visual recording in certain circumstances, or

“It's against the law to keep private pictures or videos of someone without their permission.”

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216K: Exceptions to prohibition in section 216J, or

“Rules about when it's okay to share private pictures or videos of someone”

Part 9A Crimes against personal privacy
Intimate visual recordings

216JProhibition on publishing, importing, exporting, or selling intimate visual recording

  1. Everyone is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years who, knowing that a visual recording is an intimate visual recording, or being reckless as to whether a visual recording is an intimate visual recording,—

  2. publishes in New Zealand the intimate visual recording:
    1. imports into New Zealand the intimate visual recording:
      1. exports from New Zealand the intimate visual recording:
        1. sells the intimate visual recording.

          1. In this section, unless the context otherwise requires,—

            publishes means any of the following:

            1. displays by any means:
              1. sends to any person by any means:
                1. distributes by any means:
                  1. conveys by electronic medium:
                    1. stores electronically in a way that is accessible by any other person or persons

                      sells means sells in a physical form or by electronic medium, and includes—

                      1. offers for sale:
                        1. agrees to sell.

                        Notes
                        • Section 216J: inserted, on , by section 4 of the Crimes (Intimate Covert Filming) Amendment Act 2006 (2006 No 75).