Topic 2: Misuse

The impact of misuse 

A part of MBIE’s responsibility is making sure that the Relay Service delivers on its purpose — to support Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and Deafblind community members, as well as those experiencing hearing loss and speech impediments, to communicate equitably with others. 

While misuse is declining, there have been some instances where the service has been misused, mostly by people outside of the community. We must limit misuse as much as possible, so the Relay Service can support those it is intended for, and the safety of interpreters and assistants can be maintained.

Types of misuse

From December 2023 to November 2025, the most common misuse of the service came from use by non-community members. This was 70% of misuse cases by November 2025. Prank Calling was also a form of misuse; it saw a massive spike of 75% in February 2024, but this spike has dropped. 

While data shows misuse decreasing, use of the Relay Service by non-community members, who do not need the service, has risen by 20%, and while ‘prank-calls’ have declined overall, the data shows large spikes in them at certain times of the year. The instances of misuse, while decreasing, have been concerning as people have abused or harassed Relay Assistances (RAs) or made threats against people and property. 

The NZ Relay Service has been set up to be as easy-to-access as possible; registering for the NZ Relay App requires only minimal information, while the other services require no registration, and because of this, the people responsible for these acts of misuse cannot be identified. This makes it harder to keep RAs safe or respond in an emergency. It also means that there is no way to make sure that the RA or interpreter resource is allocated to those who need it and not wasted on misuse.

Responses to misuse

The NZ Relay service must be inclusive and easy to access, but it is also important that there is the ability to prevent abuse and harassment. We are thinking about ways to prevent misuse, without making it harder to use the relay service. 

One way to do this would be to require a user to register or login to NZ Relay. This would mean that only members of the Deaf, hard-of-hearing, hearing loss and Deafblind community, as well as those experiencing speech impediments, could use the relay services. The registration process would likely require a form of ID verification.

This would make the service safer, but may also increase barriers to accessing the service. This could make it harder for people to access communication support, which is the opposite of the reason the NZ Relay Service exists. We need to keep RAs and interpreters safe, make sure the service is used by those who need it, and make the service as easy as possible to use.

Questions we would like to ask

MBIE is responsible for ensuring the Relay Service is both safe and easy to use. MBIE would like to know how users might be impacted if identification is asked for, and what type of registration is preferred. 

Consultation questions 

Impact of ‘registration’

• What are the potential advantages and disadvantages of introducing a consistent registration process for users of the NZ Relay Service?
• If registration were required for all services, what new barriers or difficulties do you anticipate service users would face?
• Do you believe that a consistent registration process could make your experience of the NZ Relay Service better, or worse? If so, in what ways?

Support needed

• Should a consistent registration process be implemented, what support measures do you suggest we put in place to assist users?

 Other ideas

If you believe registration is unnecessary or should be avoided, what alternative strategies or ideas do you propose for preventing misuse of the service? 

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