WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s Chief Censor said on Thursday he had banned a video game that appeared to glorify the mass shooting in Christchurch earlier this year that killed 51 Muslim worshippers.
In an attack broadcast live on Facebook, a lone gunman armed with semi-automatic weapons targeted Muslims attending prayers in two Christchurch mosques on March 15, killing 51 people and wounding dozens.
Australian Brenton Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, has been charged with the attack and faces trial next year.
Chief Censor David Shanks said a video game that celebrated the livestream of the mass shooting has been classified as objectionable.
“The creators of this game set out to produce and sell a game designed to place the player in the role of a white supremacist terrorist killer,” Shanks said in a statement.
“In this game, anyone who isn’t a white heterosexual male is a target for simply existing.”
Shanks previously outlawed the livestreamed video of Christchurch attack, and a manifesto linked to the alleged shooter.
Earlier this month, the censor board also outlawed a 35 minute long video of another attack by an anti-Semitic gunman who killed two people in Halle, Germany.
A document said to have been sharedby the gunman in Germany has now also been banned, Shanks said.
Some game producers appear intent on producing a ‘family’ of white extremist games, and have established a revenue stream from it, with customers in New Zealand and around the world able to purchase the games from the producer’s website, Shanks said.
“The games producers will try to dress their work up as satire but this game is no joke. It crosses the line.”
New Zealand bans video game glorifying Christchurch mosque shooting
New Zealand bans video game glorifying Christchurch mosque shooting
- The attacker broadcasted the shooting live on Facebook
- New Zealand’s chief censor said these games are ‘no joke’
DCO and Arab News partner to combat digital misinformation, explore AI’s impact on media
KUWAIT CITY: The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) and the international Saudi newspaper Arab News have signed a Letter of Engagement aimed at strengthening knowledge and expertise exchange on the impact of artificial intelligence in the media sector, as well as leveraging expert insights to develop best practices to combat online misinformation amid accelerating technological advancements.
DCO said this step aligned with its efforts to strengthen collaboration with international media institutions to support responsible dialogue around digital transformation and contribute to building a more reliable, inclusive, and sustainable digital media environment.
Commenting on the agreement, Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization, said: “At a moment when AI is reshaping how truth is produced, distributed, and trusted, partnership with credible media institutions is essential.”
She added that “working with Arab News allows us to bridge technology and journalism in a way that protects integrity, strengthens public trust, and elevates responsible innovation. This collaboration is about equipping media ecosystems with the tools, insight, and ethical grounding needed to navigate AI’s impact, while ensuring digital transformation serves people and their prosperity.”
Faisal J. Abbas, Editor-in-Chief of Arab News, emphasized that the partnership enhances media institutions’ ability to keep pace with technological shifts, noting that engagement with representatives of DCO Member States enables deeper understanding of emerging technologies and regulatory developments in the digital space.
He added: “DCO’s commitment to initiatives addressing online content integrity reflects a clear dedication to supporting a responsible digital environment that serves societies and strengthens trust in the digital ecosystem.”
The Letter of agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Fifth DCO General Assembly held in Kuwait City under the theme “Inclusive Prosperity in the Age of AI”, alongside the second edition of the International Digital Cooperation Forum, held from 4–5 February, which brought together ministers, policymakers, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and civil society representatives from more than 60 countries to strengthen international cooperation toward a human-centric, inclusive, and sustainable digital economy.
