To be a truly free and democratic society there must be respect for the autonomy of individuals, writes Tim McBride. and limits on the activities of both state and private agencies which may intrude on that autonomy.
A new change to Instagram policy is putting user information up for sale.
The Olympics, Kony, Marmite, Whitney Houston and images of Jaime Ridge - New Zealanders' internet searches have revealed the motley cast of people and events that have shaped the online year.
More than 2.8 million New Zealanders spent an average eight hours each on social media sites in October, according to figures out today.
New Zealand is going to find it increasingly difficult to tax multinational companies like Google and Facebook, says a specialist tax consultant.
Facebook's "tiny" and "barely believable" tax bill this year makes a mockery of New Zealand's tax loopholes for multinationals, says the Labour Party.
Do it early - that's the advice an internet safety expert has for parents worried about how and when they should address concerns about their children's online activity.
Thousands of teenagers are being exposed to graphic sexual material, violence, drug abuse and high levels of profanity on school-themed Facebook pages run by students.
Business might be booming for online and professional dating services but when it comes to finding love, Kiwis still prefer to meet partners the old-fashioned way.
Social media use among New Zealand business owners has fallen over the past year, with only 20 per cent maintaining some form of profile.
Facebook’s latest move - to create automatic “couples” pages for anyone listed as in a relationship - has crossed the line, users say.
When people post deliberately extreme comments from the anonymity of cyberspace, the effects can be devastating - and sometimes fatal.
"In my opinion, if you relied on free to air television, TV3's local coverage of the US election was better," writes John Drinnan.
A 73-year-old Christchurch man who posed as a teenage girl on Facebook, friending and convincing a local girl to show him sexualised videos, has been jailed for three years.
From music to fast food, more Kiwis are choosing to shop online. But retailers need to provide good, old-fashioned service, reports Steve Hart
Most customers go online to choose what they’ll buy. Why can’t they find many businesses there, asks Gill South.