Government was to blame, not Google

Andrew Little has been ranting about Google not obeying NZ suppression laws, but the truth is his own Government is to blame, not Google.

Stuff has a letter from Google which states that Google has provided forms and a webform to the Government where court orders and suppression orders can be submitted.

The Government never submitted the suppression order to Google. In fact it was Defence Counsel who finally submitted it, four days after it was made and after the Google Trends e-mail went out.

Now as a result of Little’s ranting, Google has stopped Google Trends e-mails for NZ. Wonderful.

The real solution is something I advocated over a decade ago. A secure database of suppression orders. We have an insane situation where media (including KB) have to obey suppression orders we know nothing about.

Now finally the Government is realising this could be the real solution.