David Shanks is New Zealand’s Chief Censor and leads the Classification Office, an Independent Crown Entity.
David is a barrister and solicitor who has executive experience in both private and public sector senior roles.
He’s now responsible for protecting New Zealanders from harm, especially harm to tamariki and rangatahi that can come from sex, crime, cruelty, horror and violence in media. This balances with upholding New Zealander's right to freedom of expression and recognising the diverse views of all Kiwis.
As a parent David has a passion for the job and a determination to modernise the approach to the changing world of media content.