Anti-abortion activist set up bogus website

The director of an anti-abortion group has had a website domain name confiscated after it was ruled that he set up the site to deceive users into thinking it was that of a pro-abortion group.

A supporter of the Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand (Alranz) uncovered the site, which showed a full-screen image of a bloodied aborted 24-week foetus, when she accidentally typed in ".nz" after "www.alranz.org".

The website included the same colours and font as the Alranz site, the organisation's symbol, "Keep Abortion Safe", and text, "Welcome to Alranz."

Alranz president Margaret Sparrow said the alternative website, set up by ProLife New Zealand national director Andy Moore, overstepped the boundaries of freedom of speech and was unacceptable.

"[The worst thing was] deceiving the public, but more particularly confusing young women who wanted information about abortion. If a young woman had seen that sort of material that would have been ... very damaging."

Mr Moore created the site, but registered it under the name "MyBook" and used the address of his church, Grace Baptist Church in Christchurch.

Alranz asked him to take down the website, but he said he had no intention of doing so. The group also approached his church elders, who did not respond. Alranz then laid a complaint with the Domain Name Commission.

"If someone went to the Alranz website and found those upsetting pictures that would have ... concerned me very much, so [the complaint] was really to protect young people," Dame Margaret said.

Grace Baptist Church pastor Rob Harrod said church members had talked to Mr Moore about the matter after being told about it by Alranz.

The church did not have any connection with the website and was not aware Mr Moore had used its address until Alranz told it. "Nobody was upset with him for that, we just thought it was a mistake and he assured us it wouldn't happen again."

After Mr Moore refused mediation, Alranz footed an $1800 bill for an expert lawyer to decide that his website would be transferred to the group.

Mr Moore said he never intended to mislead the public into thinking the website was genuine, and it was meant as satire. He had wanted to show up the group's "really extreme" abortion promotion. "Most of the public wouldn't be in line with Alranz's views."

After the group contacted him about the site, he changed the wording to "Exposing Alranz", to prevent confusion.

Mr Moore said he did not use personal details for any of the 20 or so domain names he had bought, and had used the church's address on his domain purchase profile because one of the first domain names he bought was for the church.

"I didn't want to have my name and address on the web just for anyone in the world to see."

It was an oversight that he had not removed the church's address, but he had since rectified that.

Dame Margaret said she was not concerned about Mr Moore's new website "Exposing Alranz".

"They went too far in what they were doing but we must allow them free speech and vigorous advocacy because we should be able to stand on the merits of our cause."

Alranz was now paying $180 a year for the rights to six other domain names similar to its own to protect itself from a similar attack.

- © Fairfax NZ News