The Classification Office has warned that online misogyny is rife within extremist ideology, and that engaging with misogynistic content exposes young people to more radical and hateful ideas on the internet.
In its latest research and online resource Online Misogyny and Violent Extremism – Understanding the Landscape, Te Mana Whakaatu has highlighted the alarming trend, while also offering a tool for people to get help.
Chief censor Caroline Flora said the resource was the result of a year's worth of analysis of platforms such as Gab, 4chan and 8kun, as well as examining extremist and banned propaganda, such as the manifesto produced by the Christchurch terrorist.
"All of these manifestos contained variations on feminism and blamed the sexual revolution for the breakdown of society," Flora said.
"[They show] a desire to kill women; a desire to return women to their rightful place of bearing children. These are not just sexist ideas, they are highly promotional and influential among their users."
Flora said not everyone who engaged with misogyny online was going to commit violence, but there was a "well established body of literature" showing algorithmic suggestions introduced more extreme ideas to users.
"We cannot ban content or restrict it because it contains misogyny, but it does sit alongside extreme violence and terrorism," she said.
But the Office could ban and restrict some content that promoted crime, terrorism or violence, or other elements such as horror, crime, sex or cruelty.
In 2021, one video that met that threshold was from a Twitch streamer, who made repeated references to his status as an incel — an online subculture of men who define themselves as unable to get a romantic or sexual partner.
The streamer called women "foids", a derogatory slur that combines "female and android", and infers that women should be objectified for their capacity for sex. In the game, the user explicitly targeted women, and stated he wished to "purge the world of foids".
"The emergence of specific ideologies that have a hatred and prejudice against women like incels, or involuntary celibates, is deeply concerning," Flora said.
The research also looked at how high-profile women, including politicians and journalists, were often targeted, with the spread of deceptive or inaccurate information and images.
"The types of threats might include stalking, harassment, attempts to disrupt public life and withdraw them from public life, attacks to reputation and threats to family," Flora said.
A number of other countries have introduced online safety legislation to address harms such as online misogyny, including in the UK with the Online Safety Act, enacted in 2023, and the European Union's Digital Services Act.
Last year, the Department of Internal Affairs proposed the creation of an online regulator, separate from government, with the power to fine social media platforms for breaching rules designed to tackle harmful online content.
Last week it was revealed the proposal had been scrapped, with the department confirming it was not a ministerial priority for the Minister of Internal Affairs, Brooke van Velden.
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