Internet content regulation in South Africa by FPB

In a recent presentation to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee for Home Affairs, the Film and Publications Board (FPB) said that one of its strategic objectives is to regulate the Internet.
Under strategic outcome number 4 in its presentation, the FPB states: “Ensure effective and innovative regulation of the content distributed on online, mobile and related platforms to protect children and inform the general public.”
To achieve this, the FPB set itself the following strategic objectives:
- Development and implementation of a content regulation framework that ensures 100% classification.
- Labelling of classifiable content distributed on online, mobile and related platforms, by 2017.
Despite it’s intentions, however, the FPB essentially told parliament that it couldn’t deliver on the strategy when it comes to online content distribution.
According to the FPB, it is regrettably not possible to regulate Internet content, further noting that there are high volumes of pornography distributed online.
The FPB explained regulation is made impossible by a highly litigious industry that spent large sums in legal fees.
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