The Power of Journalism and the Future of the Global Fourth Estate

Melissa Lee October 21, 2021 Share

This year two journalists were announced as the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize Winners. They are representative of a community in the tens of thousands globally working to hold the powerful to account from the world of politics, economy to the armed forces. Across every political arena, public advocacy and community in the pursuit of the facts, the power of journalism to inform and to strike out as an independent voice, at the risk of imprisonment or personal harm, is truly one of the greatest examples of putting service above self in the pursuit of growing a globally informed society.

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Melissa Lee's October Update

Melissa Lee October 13, 2021 Share

Hi Everyone!

While COVID-19 restrictions have slightly loosened, allowing us to reach out and support local businesses allowed to operate during Level 3, I wanted to reach out and let you know my Office teams in Auckland and Wellington are still here to support you all. My Wellington office in Parliament is operating and my Auckland team are available to support you while working from home. 

Email my team at [email protected] if you need any advice or support.

I am here to help!

Melissa

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The Great Facebook Calamity of 2021

Melissa Lee October 05, 2021 Share

This week across the world but particularly here in New Zealand, a great calamity struck millions of netizens with the fall of Facebook’s platforms due to internal network issues. Gone was the Facebook App, gone was Messenger, MessengerLite Instagram and WhatsApp. Even Pokémon Go was affected by the sudden and dramatic disruption on the way so many of us now engage online.

It was a shock to the systems of many and shock is the right word, because, Facebook has now become one of the primary tools for communications and information dissemination within global culture. Facebook and its platforms have, whether they intended or not, become an archive of human history and endeavour as digital photo albums and Facebook posts replace hard bound leather bundles, diaries and scrapbooks of our parents’ generation or the oral histories of our ancestors

The effect of the Facebook outage is still unknown at the time I write this but it is amazing to think of how much of our lives could be lost if Facebook were to permanently disappear overnight. How many late night messages between friends and loved ones could vanish into the ether of the digital abyss? We simply have no clue as to the societal damage but I imagine it would be likened to a mesh of the Fires of the Alexandria Library mixed with the personal feeling of a cherished family home burning down. How many of you have backed up your Facebook data and how many of you will be doing so the moment the platform is restored?

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Protecting your Data during COVID-19 – Your Privacy Matters

Melissa Lee September 23, 2021 Share

As I write this column and think about the extra weeks of economic hardship still ahead for many Kiwi businesses in the Auckland region during Level 3 and across Level 2 in the rest of New Zealand. I am finalising a proposed Member’s Bill to tackle the significant privacy harms that are becoming clear stemming from contact tracing data misuse by both the Government and those collecting it. Whether we like it or not, the continued bio-surveillance of New Zealand remains a necessary evil still to fight COVID-19 for managing and attempting the prevention of outbreaks. However, we should expect and frankly demand that any data captured by the Crown and businesses alike be held securely.

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Melissa Lee's Spring Update

Melissa Lee September 10, 2021 Share

Hi Everyone!

While COVID-19 Level 4 restrictions have put a dampener on the start of Spring I wanted to reach out and let you know my Office teams in Auckland and Wellington are still here to support you, your businesses and your families.  Flick my team an email at [email protected] if you need any advice or support.

We are here to help!

Melissa

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New Zealand’s cyber borders under siege again on Labour’s watch

Melissa Lee September 03, 2021 Share

Today’s cyber-attack on New Zealand’s telecommunications network is a clear sign the Government has failed again to protect New Zealand’s cyber borders, National’s Digital Economy and Communications spokesperson Melissa Lee says.

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New Zealand’s cyber-resilience failing under Labour

Matthew Stephens July 20, 2021 Share

Since Labour has been in Government New Zealand’s cybersecurity ranking has taken a serious hit, National’s Digital Economy & Communications spokesperson Melissa Lee says.

The recently released United Nations ITU Global Cybersecurity Index shows New Zealand’s ranking plunging from 19 in 2017 down to 48 in 2021.

“Nations like Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Ghana, Tunisia and Azerbaijan are now outranking New Zealand in cyber resilience,” Ms Lee says.

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Digital Exclusion and New Zealand’s Tech Future

Melissa Lee July 16, 2021 Share

This month the Citizens Advice Bureau and a cross-section of the New Zealand community from around New Zealand arrived at the steps of Parliament to deliver a Petition calling on the Government to sort out digital exclusion.  

Frankly, this government has been completely off the curb when it comes to real and high-quality delivery of digital solutions and support for digitally excluded New Zealanders. Over the summer, with barely any direct consultation (although plenty of longwinded documents were uploaded on their website which few outside the beltway have read) the government withdrew support for the telecommunications devices of deaf and hard of hearing New Zealanders. This left many vulnerable and stranded with new technologies mostly managed via apps they could not understand

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Melissa Lee's July Update

Melissa Lee July 14, 2021 Share

Hi Everyone!

As we head into the heart of winter remember to be ready for any situation. Around New Zealand we have been facing flooding, tornadoes and heavy swells out at sea over the past month and it is vital we are all prepared in an emergency.

Now is a great time to update your Civil Defence kits so in any emergency you can get ready and get through!

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