BSA overreach must be shut down before it starts

ACT MP Todd Stephenson is calling out the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) for what appears to be a self-appointed power grab.

“Unelected bureaucrats have no mandate to police the internet,” says Mr Stephenson. “When Parliament created the BSA in 1989, it was to uphold standards for traditional broadcasters. There was no YouTube, no podcasts, no livestreams.

“The BSA now claims it can regulate platforms like The Platform because podcasts include sound, and sound equals broadcasting. That’s a dangerous leap in logic.

“In the age of the internet, people can choose what media they tune in to, or tune out from. The Platform isn't invading anyone’s living room without their consent.

“This is a textbook example of a public agency trying to rewrite its own job description, expanding the bureaucracy, dismissing freedom of choice, and disregarding the boundaries of its democratic mandate.

“The BSA should stick to its knitting. If Parliament wanted a regulator for online content, we would’ve created one through proper democratic process, not let a legacy body declare it by fiat.

“Free speech matters. ACT will fight any attempt to smuggle in internet censorship under the radar, whether it’s by the BSA or anyone else.”