The Department of Internal Affairs

The Department of Internal Affairs

Te Tari Taiwhenua

Building a safe, prosperous and respected nation

 

Services › Anti-Spam › Complain About Spam

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You can complain about unsolicited commercial electronic messages you have received by email, TXT (mobile/smart phone) message, or fax (facsimile). You can also register your details with us if you anticipate making further complaints, make changes to your details registered with us, or recover your Registration ID.

Common Questions

 If you have any further questions about spam complaints, please contact us.

When should I make a spam complaint?

Commercial electronic messages must only be sent when you have given express consent, inferred consent, or deemed consent. They must include a functional unsubscribe facility and accurate sender information so you, the recipient, can contact the sender of the message.

If you receive further messages from the sender after five working days of requesting to be unsubscribed, if there is no unsubscribe facility, or if you don’t believe the sender had any consent to contact you, please make a complaint.

A definition of an Unsolicited Electronic Message under New Zealand law can be found on the New Zealand Legislation website.

Do I need to register my details before making a spam complaint?

Registration is not necessary to make a complaint, however registration will simplify the process should you wish to make complaints in the future.

Already registered? You can make changes to your details registered with us, or recover your Registration ID.

What happens to my spam complaint?

Your complaint will be entered into our database for review and may be examined by one of our Investigators.

Where numerous complaints are received about a particular spam campaign we may investigate the campaign as a whole.

Your complaint should include as much information as possible in order for us to investigate it effectively. We may contact you if we require clarification on any points or further information.

Where can I make a complaint about objectionable material?

If you are concerned that something you have seen may be objectionable, please complete the online Content Complaint Form (specifically for offensive material and classification concerns), or contact a Censorship Inspector.

The Department also enforces the Films, Videos, and Publication Classification Act 1993.