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Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 (HDCA)

The Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 (HDCA) sets out 10 principles for digital communications that are aimed at preventing harm:

  1. A digital communication should not disclose sensitive personal facts about an individual.
  2. A digital communication should not be threatening, intimidating or menacing.
  3. A digital communication should not be grossly offensive to a reasonable person in the position of the affected individual.
  4. A digital communication should not be indecent or obscene.
  5. A digital communication should not be used to harass an individual.
  6. A digital communication should not make a false allegation.
  7. A digital communication should not contain a matter that is published in breach of confidence.
  8. A digital communication should not incite or encourage anyone to send a message to an individual for the purpose of causing harm to individual.
  9. A digital communication should not incite or encourage an individual to commit suicide.
  10. A digital communication should not denigrate an individual by reason of his or her colour, race, ethnic or national origins, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.

A lot of this is common sense for most people. The act gives the legal framework to be able to enforce these rules and protect people.