16781 (2026). Arena Williams to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Written Question

Published date: 10 May 2026

Metadata

Document type:	Written Question
Parliament number:	54
Question number:	16781 (2026)
Question asked:	20 Apr 2026
Member asking:	Arena Williams
Portfolio:	Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Minister replying:	Cameron Brewer
Answer received:	04 May 2026
Status:	Question Answered
Reply type:	Reply
Document ID:	WQ_16781_2026
Document guid:	2c5d1630-b70a-488f-88cc-2c9e0ffc1f05

16781 (2026). Arena Williams to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: Does New Zealand need a centralised, government-led effort to filter the content of text messages for scams; if yes, what is the Minister's plan, if anything?

Cameron Brewer: The Government considers scams to be a shared problem requiring coordinated action across multiple sectors. Efforts are underway in the Anti-Scam Alliance to improve the prevention and disruption of scams occurring over text messages, including the expansion of the 7726 SPAM and scam reporting service.