The New Zealand government launched an anti-terrorism initiative encouraging citizens to rap on their neighbours, including those opposed to Covid-19 restrictions.
“Recognising a potential warning sign and then alerting New Zealand SIS or police could be the vital piece in the puzzle that ultimately saves lives,” said Rebecca Kitteridge, New Zealand’s Security Intelligence Services (NZSIS) Director General.
Newshub reports that the government noticed an emerging trend of potential new terrorists, referring to those motivated by politics.
“So it could be the COVID measures that the government took, or it could be other policies that are interpreted as infringing on rights, and it’s a kind of what I describe as a hot mess of ideologies and beliefs fuelled by conspiracy theories,” Kitteridge added.
The “Know The Signs” booklet provided by NZSIS includes about 50 different possible indicators of terrorist activity. The flyer states that any of the listed indicators are not signs of violent extremism individually but could be when combined with others.
Some of the potential signs from the booklet include:
- Uses fake names, aliases or pseudonyms when online or within specific communities
- Creates exclusive groups on secure forums or messaging apps
- Becomes secretive about their activities with associates
- Provides limited or false information when questioned about future plans
In other words, a nosy neighbour is now being encouraged to call the police on someone who takes issue with authoritarian health policies.
Canadian authorities have not made a snitch line to this degree. However, during the pandemic, some cities developed hotlines for citizens to call in to tell on neighbours suspected of violating strict covid-19 measures.
Under Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand has been trending towards authoritarianism. Earlier this year, she told the United Nations she wants governments to censor the internet.
