A recent Realty Check Radio’s (RCR) four-part investigation reveals that Stats NZ is developing a powerful Statistical Register that assigns each citizen a Persistent Unique Identifier (PUI), enabling real-time tracking of nearly every aspect of their lives.
This project links population, location, and business data to construct a dynamic profile of every individual in the country. While touted as a “tool for improved research and policymaking”, critics say it will facilitate unprecedented surveillance and data overreach by the state.
The project builds upon the existing Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), a de-identified database used for statistical research. However, privacy experts warn that anonymisation is no longer a reliable safeguard due to advances in AI, which can re-identify data from limited points. Stats NZ’s shift toward real-time updates and the IPS (Interim Person Spine) introduces the risk of centralised, persistent tracking, raising serious legal and ethical questions. Insiders and privacy law academics argue the new system potentially violates core principles of the Privacy Act.
Criticism intensifies around the weak safeguards in the 2022 Data and Statistics Act, which expanded Stats NZ’s data-collection powers without sufficient oversight. Former Government Statisticians and legal experts warn that the law enables data collection from non-government entities like banks and supermarkets and allows for delegation of sensitive data-handling to unspecified parties. This could open the door to abuse and loss of public trust, as demonstrated by the Manurewa Marae data scandal and ongoing IRD breaches.
Stats NZ has also confirmed plans to overhaul the 2028 Census, replacing the traditional survey model with an “admin-data-first” approach, relying on the Statistical Register instead of public participation. Critics argue this radical shift was not transparently disclosed in public consultation and sets a dangerous precedent by normalising continuous government surveillance under the guise of “efficiency and cost reduction”. The secrecy surrounding reports and expert reviews further erodes credibility and accountability.
The RCR investigation by Bonnie Flaws warns that without strong privacy protections, meaningful consultation, and public transparency, Stats NZ’s trajectory risks creating a centralised surveillance apparatus. The blurred lines between statistical research, enforcement, and behavioural control echo international controversies over data misuse and algorithmic policing. As New Zealand moves toward real-time citizen profiling, public awareness and resistance may be the only barriers to a future of total data-driven governance.
The four-part series is available on the RCR website:
This is 100% correct. There is no need for a census when stats have all the info.
Begin filing complaints to the Privacy Commission, and hold the Commissioner and Privacy Oversight Committee accountable via the Human Rights Commission and the NZ Office of the Ombudsman.
File individual OIA on yourselves to see what Stats NZ has on you, and how / when the information was shared.
This is a VIOLATION of International Rights as it constitutes legal threatening for failing to participate not only in the normal census, but also the intrusive and inflammatory ‘Household Survey’ which invades individual, work and banking privacy. Essentially, it’s serving as an info-sharing audit of the IRD and other overseas tax agencies via 5-Eyes data sharing.
This is another tool being prepped for ‘Social Credit’ and surveillance inside Agenda 2030’s ’15-Minute Cities’ .
We recently received a notification that Statistics New Zealand was going to come out to the home for a ‘Household Economic Survey’, one of four (4) that they supposedly undertake in addition to the NZ Census.
Here are some points taken from an open letter to Parliament a few years ago, taken from another website-
(To- a NZ Solicitor / Barrister / Lawyer with a c/c to the NZ Parliament)
We are writing with grave concerns relating to Stats New Zealand and their demands for a ‘Household Survey’ We found this odd, as we have never heard of such before. We then began to research this.
Details of what other have experienced can be found at Stuff media, an article by Aaron Leaman dated 3 August 2018, titled ‘Couple say compulsory government survey an intrusion’. There is also an RNZ Radio interview with another party who also felt openly threatened.
I called the Privacy Commission, and they said that their protection was exempt from such an interview or info gathering.
I called Community Law, but the person I spoke with (Shelly) was not a lawyer…and she recommended to ignore the letter from Stats NZ as it could be someone attempting to gain entry into the home on a fraudulent basis. She and the others in the office had never heard of such a ‘survey’
I called the New Zealand Human Rights Commission and spoke to ‘Brian”, but he was dissuading. When I said that we would probably ignore the demand, he recommended that we don’t.
Under the UN Human Rights Treaty, Part 1, Item 1.1, we see that New Zealand agreed in 1978 to be legally bound by the ICCPR Articles 12 and 17.
Under Article 17, items 1 & 2 addresses the bound agreement that ‘No one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, etc. & ‘in reflection, the scope of Article 17 protects privacy, but also from interference with the individual’s family and home life, written affairs, and personal identity and standing.’
The causal effect of this is that the Stats NZ ‘survey’ is that it is actually an audit, and an intrusive one which we believe conflicts with UN Articles that protect us.
In the past, we had a speech language therapist show-up at our home numerous times in Whangarei. This was for our then 5 y/o autistic child
After I obtained the SLT file under the OIA, we found several items in the file that were defamatory towards me and my wife, and we fired the MoE SLT minutes after reading the same.
In addition, the SLT was passing false info to the MoH, who called us and stated that they needed to see our child ASAP as she was ‘at risk in the home’.
We told the MoH that there was no risk, and that the SLT had since been fired. The SLT we think also had a recording device that we were not informed of which she brought into our home. We base that upon the word-for-word transcript vs what was written down whereby she added ‘twisted’ incorrect information on paper in an attempt to make us look incompetent as parents.
In the end, due to behind the scenes manipulation of the service, shared-data and others who ‘got on board’ with the MoE & MoH, we could only conclude that they were planning to traffick our child. These suspected efforts slowed-down when we had a diagnosis of Autism from several Practitioners.
Still, we had to sell our home in Whangarei and move to the South Island to get away from the psychopaths and to also get our child out of immediate danger from the suspected child traffickers working in government.
Our child is now a 12 y/o, and is home-schooled due to Autism, and the lack of MoE support in previous classrooms. We assume Stats will interview our child with no clear understanding of the autistic condition. This is problematic as our child does not like strangers coming into the home, and it raises the anxiety level. This could be misconstrued as ‘something untoward occurring in the home’, and may not fully understand the questions put to our child by a ‘neurotypical’ government surveillance worker.
In light of the fact that family members are disabled, is there a possible legality that we could be exempt from completing this HES requested by Stats NZ similar to a permanent excuse from Jury Duty?
The Stats NZ states that one can be prosecuted for not participating in the ‘survey’ (audit?) and have a conviction entered into his/her record, or fined the max of $500.00. (as of 2025, that has increased to NZ$2,000.00) As a Firearms Licence holder, having a potential Stats NZ conviction on record concerns me as a Firearms Licence holder, as well in this regard, despite that no one has yet to be charged / fined for refusing the ‘survey’.
We have never committed a crime, nor have even so much as a parking ticket! & now we are threatened with a criminal record!!!
We do participate in the NZ Census, and that should be enough for Stats NZ. In politics and government, nothing happens by chance, as we have experienced such. While Stats NZ states that they only share the data, cross-matching and referencing leads to name matching, and this is cause for concern to us, having been victimised by the system previously.
What may we ask are your fees / retainers if needed?
What we find quite interesting here is that they are focusing on Child Poverty (which the media states is ‘down’) but we live in a middle class neighbourhood in Whangarei – one wouldn’t have thought that would be a demographically child-poor area. We are actually the most ‘conservative’ money-wise in our area, drive a 12 year old car & live in a home that requires renovations. In saying that, our child is not suffering from any neglect, is well-feed, is loved, is home educated and is not suffering in any financial way whatsoever.
The government should be focusing all their Statisticians in the far upper north as such, i.e. the indigenous peoples of NZ who are without running water, electricity and basic human needs!
If perhaps your legal exec or someone could give us a very quick call to let us know our rights to refuse. At this stage, we have not engaged with Stats NZ in any shape or form.
Sincerely,
(Names with-held)
Technocracy noose tightening while we sleep, aided and abetted by our “foreign agent” government(s).
Remember this;
National was in government when J3w Peter Thiel was granted NZ Citizenship after only 5 days by former national Party PM JK, who is also J3wi$h.
Thiel brought with him his Planatir System of spying / intelligence gathering.
The Labour Party NEVER objected to this arrangement, nor did the other ‘Minor Political Parties’!
Luxon, Willis, and the rest of the current National Government have NOT removed Planatir from New Zealand which violates NZ and UN Human Rights, and are allowing this info-sharing proposal by Stats NZ to proceed WITHOUT A REFERENDUM, DEBATE, OR GOING TO SPECIAL COMMITTEE PROCESSES!
They are going to ignore us once again, and allow this monstrous surveillance by Stats NZ to proceed.
If anything requires a Hikoi and Parliament Grounds protest, alongside an elevated legal complaint to the NZ Governor-General and the Privy Counsel, it’s this obvious violation of our Human, Civil and Legal Rights to refuse participation in being forced to reveal aspects of our privacy over to government via Stats NZ.
It also violates the Treaty of Waitangi in respect to the status of Maori Lands!!!
& the Joker’s wild https://asiatimes.com/2025/05/the-most-dangerous-man-in-america-isnt-trump-its-alex-karp/#
Unaccountable government is the norm in the West these days. New Zealand is no exception. This raises so many troubling questions, including in whose name these so called political parties operate? Its difficult to argue its the interest of the average New Zealander, that’s for sure. Especially when they are caught spying on us.
Mind you, try telling that to the voter die hards, who still think there is a political left and right and we are not operating under a globalist uni party system. Even when the evidence is right in front of them.
In whose name do these so called political parties operate?
The City of London aka The Crown or the Empire of the City control all British colonies, i.e all “Western democracies”.
Politicians of all persuasions are mere puppets, slaves to the system controlled and run by the minority in the shadows. These politicians never will put forward for senior office within their parties unless they are willing and able to toe the party line, which is of course dictated from on high by the Elite. That how the control both side of the illusory two party – system and we the people buy into it by going to vote and believe it is democratic.
We have traded our liberty for freedom many years ago – it is time we take it back. We the people have the power to stop the few to control the many. Don’t feed the beast by subscribing to apps or storing data on cloud, leave your smart phone at home if you need one? Don’t use social media, just starve them of data. Data storage uses a lot of electricity and water, don’t be surprised when there is a scarcity of water and power, if you have uploaded your latest holiday picture and the first smile etc, you get the massage.
Don’t complain if you don’t want to change,
Orwell said “Don;t let happen”
Excellent observations, especially about the ‘Uni-Party’ system of (s)elections,.
Yes, we traded our Freedom for Liberty. Freedom means just that; to be free and unfettered. This is what the Anarchists follow.
Liberty is nothing more than ‘government-approved privileges’ which can be revoked, cancelled or outlawed at any time!
My vote in 2026; The New Zealand Loyal Party!
https://ia600204.us.archive.org/29/items/pdfy-o2EjgNgqR4rpliEp/Matrix%20of%20Power.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqEtAyPbLrMOdzp1IHzJlvG2u_k2P9z9F
These daft silly creepy nosey communist bureaucrats should bugger off and mind their own business.
I don’t want to live in East Germany thanks very much.
I was intimidated into doing this a couple of years ago and still feel threatened by it after I complied. It was under the Labour majority government but it seems to have continued with Luxon and co. I have no idea if what the person asking the questions said is true..i.e. they this is anonymous. How can it be anonymous if they have your name and address in the first place? I was appalled, and continue to be so, that the government can demand with threats that we participate in such personally invasive questioning.