Internet New Zealand has welcomed a decision to drop a proposed law change that would have made internet service providers (ISPs) criminally liable for name suppression breaches by their customers.
Parliament's justice and electoral committee today reported back on the Criminal Procedure (Reform and Modernisation) Bill, which involves an overhaul of the entire justice system.
Among the committee's suggested amendments was a recommendation to delete a clause making ISPs liable for clients who broke name suppression.
"We do not consider it an effective mechanism for policing breaches of suppression orders on the internet," the committee's report said.
InternetNZ chief executive Vikram Kumar welcomed the decision to remove the clause.
"Rather than trying to make ISPs liable and going down the dangerous path of making them an arm of the State, we are pleased that the law will penalise those who breached a name suppression order in the first place," he said.
