NZ Police Fail to Remove Illegal Photos by Extended Deadline

Published Date : 8/7/2025 

Four years after being ordered to delete tens of thousands of unlawfully collected photographs, New Zealand police have once again missed their extended deadline, citing a lack of viable solutions. 

Four years after New Zealand police were ordered to delete tens of thousands of unlawfully collected photographs, the law enforcement agency has announced it has once again missed its extended deadline. In 2021, the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) and the Office of Privacy Commissioner (OPC) launched an investigation into the police practice of taking photos of young people, including Maori. The investigation revealed that the police were engaged in a 'systemic' practice of collecting duplicate sets of fingerprints and photographs of young people in custody and holding on to them longer than allowed.

The force was found to be in breach of privacy regulations and was ordered to delete all unlawfully collected material in their systems. The deadline for the deletion of unlawfully taken photographs was extended to the end of June. However, in March, the police informed the Privacy Commissioner that they would miss the deadline because there is no 'viable manual or technology solution' to complete the task.

The law enforcement agency was also supposed to prevent access to non-compliant photographs or records. Its letter, however, states that there is currently no solution to control or restrict access to the material. The police have previously said that their efforts to delete the images have been delayed because the photographs are spread out throughout different systems and work phones. Many of the images are unlabeled and lack metadata.

Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster said that his office is currently considering next steps. 'Not meeting the final requirements means the police have not complied fully with the notice,' he stated. The force is currently working on the M365 Workspace Initiative, a collection of Microsoft applications, such as SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, and the Managed Content Store (MCS), designed to ease information sharing.

This week, the country introduced a new Biometric Processing Privacy Code, which comes into force on November 3rd. According to the rulebook, special attention must be given in circumstances in which biometric information is being collected from children. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What did the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) and the Office of Privacy Commissioner (OPC) investigate?

A: They investigated the New Zealand police's practice of taking photos of young people, including Maori, and found that the police were engaged in a 'systemic' practice of collecting duplicate sets of fingerprints and photographs of young people in custody and holding on to them longer than allowed.

Q: What was the original deadline for deleting the unlawfully collected photographs?

A: The original deadline was extended to the end of June, but the police missed this deadline as well.

Q: Why did the police miss the deadline for deleting the photographs?

A: The police informed the Privacy Commissioner that they would miss the deadline because there is no 'viable manual or technology solution' to complete the task. Many of the images are spread out throughout different systems and work phones, and many are unlabeled and lack metadata.

Q: What is the M365 Workspace Initiative?

A: The M365 Workspace Initiative is a collection of Microsoft applications, such as SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, and the Managed Content Store (MCS), designed to ease information sharing within the New Zealand police force.

Q: What is the new Biometric Processing Privacy Code, and when does it come into force?

A: The new Biometric Processing Privacy Code, which comes into force on November 3rd, requires special attention to be given when biometric information is collected from children. 

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