The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies and the Film and Publication Board (FPB) have welcomed the ruling by the Gauteng High Court ordering Meta to shut down certain Instagram accounts and WhatsApp channels found to be distributing explicit child sexual abuse material (CSAM), commonly known as child pornography.
Judge Mudunwazi Makamu ordered Meta to take down any content of a sexual nature that involves school children and to permanently delete any associated profiles.
“With the development and expansion of digital technologies, the crime of online child exploitation and abuse has grown exponentially and has become the most insidious form of global, modern and borderless cybercrime. The psychological effects on victims of child pornography are long- lasting and devastating, hence we applaud the high court ruling,” Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Mondli Gungubele said on Tuesday, 15 July.
The Films and Publications Act (The Act) defines child pornography as any image, however created, or any description or representation, that visually depicts a child engaged in sexual activity.
The Act makes it a criminal offense to produce, distribute, possess, or expose children to child pornography. The penalties for these offenses are severe and include imprisonment and fines.
“Parents and guardians are encouraged to regularly monitor their children’s online activities and educate them about harmful and prohibited content that could lead to their arrest as well as the long-term psychological effects of such content on victims,” the Deputy Minister said.
Harmful content is described as content that causes emotional, psychological or normal distress to a person, whether it be through any online or offline medium, including through the internet.
Prohibited content is described as content which amounts to propaganda for war, incitement of imminent violence, advocacy of hatred that is based on an identifiable group characteristic, or is prohibited in section 16 (2), 16 (4) and 18 (3).
The FPB has encouraged the public to report any harmful and prohibited material through its toll-free hotline at 0800 148 148 or on WhatsApp Hotline Channel on 083 428 4767.
The public can also access these links on the FPB website at www.fpb.org.za.
