Vodafone, 2degrees take on social media criticism of te reo Māori

Vodafone and 2degrees have joined forces on social media to defend their embracing of te reo Māori. Photo / Getty Images

Two of the country's biggest mobile networks have joined forces for a social media takedown of customers criticising their moves to embrace te reo Māori.

Vodafone changed its network name from VF New Zealand to VF Aotearoa at the end of Māori language week as part of its ongoing support for te reo.

While many have welcomed the move to embrace the indigenous name for the country, some have taken to social media to express their disdain.

One user called it a ""woke virtue-signal"" and tweeted an image of the new network name, stating: "Don't appreciate this, thanks.

"My country is called New Zealand.

"I don't want it on my phone.

"Change it now, or else I'll switch providers."

The tweet which prompted a response from the mobile networks.

Vodafone New Zealand tweeted back the recent network name change to VF Aotearoa was to "simply to celebrate one of the three beautiful official languages we have here in New Zealand/Aotearoa".

"There are no plans to change it at this stage."

The exchange drew a strong reaction from social media users, and soon fellow mobile network 2degrees joined the action with a big "Kia ora!".

Its social media guru followed up with a: "Kei te pēhea koe?", or, "How are you?".

"Hmmm, better not switch to us. We love celebrating te reo Māori too! Nice work
@vodafoneNZ," they said.

Kia ora Danny! Kei te pēhea koe? Hmmm, better not switch to us. We love celebrating Te Reo Māori too! Nice work @vodafoneNZ ^MB

— 2degrees (@2degreesmobile) September 28, 2020

Spark also responded to a commenter saying Māori Language Week was over, saying te reo was a "normal part of our country".

"We will continue to encourage and give tools to those who wish to expand their knowledge and cultural understanding."

Vodafone New Zealand head of Māori development Kirstin Te Wao said it was really encouraging to see competitors publicly support them in the kaupapa online, even in the face of criticism.

"We're proud to be part of the community here in Aotearoa and we're fortunate to use our voice and platforms to positively support the Māori culture and language.

"The network carrier message is an integral part of Vodafone, as a mobile provider, so including Aotearoa there felt like a natural and authentic initiative to take."

Vodafone New Zealand head of Māori development Kirstin Te Wao. Photo / Supplied

Overall they'd mostly had "fantastic support" from the majority of followers and the public, including competitors.

"Hopefully in time, the dissenting voices become quieter as more New Zealanders embrace te reo."

A spokeswoman for 2degrees said the company celebrated all cultures and beliefs, and "takes real pride in our diverse and multicultural workforce and nation".

"We support all three official languages in New Zealand thought it's fair to say we're very early on in our te reo journey," she said.

"It's something that we're encouraging with our people to get amongst a bit more in the workplace and at home."

"We don't have any immediate plans to alter our network name though that may change in the future."