Over 2,000 Kiwis tell Goldsmith: “Put the BSA back in its place” 

16 October 2025 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Over 2,000 Kiwis tell Goldsmith: “Put the BSA back in its place” 

More than 2,000 New Zealanders have written to the Minister for Media and Communications, Paul Goldsmith, demanding he stop the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) from extending its powers to regulate online media, says Jillaine Heather, Chief Executive of the Free Speech Union. 

“The response has been overwhelming,” says Heather. “Kiwis don’t want unelected bureaucrats unilaterally appointing themselves as the censor of the modern internet (with impacts on online media, podcasts and live streams). Freedom of speech must remain paramount. But the BSA’s broad and subjective standards give it licence to silence controversial or unpopular views, creating a chilling effect on online speech. 

“Both the Government and the BSA have long known that online media sits outside the Authority’s jurisdiction. “Instead of leaving that gap for Parliament to address, the BSA has chosen to fill it itself - an extraordinary overreach,” Heather says. 

“Earlier this month, the BSA accepted a complaint against journalist Sean Plunket for comments made on The Platform, an online-only outlet. “This is how censorship creep begins,” Heather warns. “Today it’s Sean Plunket. Tomorrow, it could be anyone who expresses an unpopular opinion online.” 

“The Free Speech Union is calling on Parliament to affirm in law that the BSA’s powers stop at traditional broadcasting, and that any changes must be debated openly - not decided by regulators. 

“Free speech is the foundation of an open democracy,” says Heather.  Thousands of Kiwis have made it clear: we won’t tolerate backdoor censorship.”