Tough new systems laws are needed to stop our children from accessing pornography says the Minister for Children.
Photo: 123RF
The United Kingdom is bringing in age restrictions for viewing porn and blocking websites which don't comply.
Minister for Internal Affairs and Minister for Children, Tracey Martin, told Morning Report she wants to make sure New Zealand children are safe.
She wants systems in place that stop children from accidentally being exposed to porn.
"At the moment... we've got the chief censor actually doing a piece of research with young people to find out exactly what it is that they're watching, when they're watching it, how they're getting it, are they intentionally seeking or are they finding themselves in a position where images are coming to them."
She said there is already a general age restriction on material to sell or give porn to children under 18-year-old.
"How are we able to enforce that online when we've got a really crowded space online with porn producers fighting for their own space and pushing it further and further."
"There is no current government piece of work exploring new restrictions in this area" - Tracey Martin
She said as the Minister for Children, and with her involvement with secondary schools over the past decade, she knows more and more porn is slipping through the cracks of the systems and children are being exposed to it.
In the term of this government, she wants there to be a conversation with Cabinet about whether current legislation, regulation and censorship laws are fit for purpose.