A tourist questioned by New Zealand Police has won the right to get a DVD copy of the interview after authorities refused to hand it over because he wanted to post it on YouTube.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner this week released details of the case after the tourist contacted them complaining about his experience.
Details shared on the Office's website say the man was holidaying here when he filed a police report saying he had been robbed.
"During the investigation, a constable interviewed the complainant. This interview was recorded with the complainant's consent," the report says.
"As a result of that interview and other inquiries, police determined that the complainant had not actually been robbed, but rather had made a false report in order to file an insurance claim to pay for his holiday."
After several months, the tourist contacted police requesting a DVD copy of the interview and later told police he intended uploading it on video-sharing website YouTube.
Police, however, declined the request and offered to give him a transcript of the interview instead. The Privacy Commissioner said under the Privacy Act, anyone had the right to access information agencies held about them - such as the DVD.
Police said they feared a video of the interview shared on the internet would result in ridicule and abuse towards the constable officer who questioned the man.
"We did not agree with this reasoning because section 42(2)b refers to legal duties over documents, not individuals," the report said.
"While police cited a duty to be a good employer, the act only refers to statutes and common law that prevent an agency from releasing documents."
In the end, police were required to pass on the interview in a DVD format. However, in a compromise, authorities were allowed to have the interviewing officer's face pixelated and voice distorted to protect "the constable's dignity and reputation while also fulfilling police obligations under the Privacy Act."