The recently released draft regulation policy of the Film & Publication Board (FPB), published in terms of Section 4A of the Films and Publications Act, may be well-intentioned, but will have unintended consequences regarding freedom of speech in South Africa. The purpose
Cabinet has approved the submission of the Films and Publications Amendment Bill which is guided by policy that has been criticised for seeking to curb Internet freedoms. A cabinet statement released last week said the bill seeks to amend
Mobile operators and Internet service providers could have their licences revoked by communications regulator Icasa if they fail to comply with new legislation being developed to govern online censorship in South Africa. In a statement issued on Thursday
More than 14 000 people have signed an online petition launched on Thursday against the Film and Publication Board’s (FPB’s) draft online regulations. “A new set of regulations threatens
South Africa’s online environment has evolved significantly in recent years. The number of people with access to the Internet has grown tremendously, and the ways in which people access information and knowledge differ quite markedly compared to just a
The 90-day period for public comment on the Film & Publication Board’s draft online regulation policy ended yesterday, and it is already clear that opposition to the draft policy from industry, civil
The Film and Publication Board (FPB) has agreed in principle to defer the regulation of online press content to the Press Council of South Africa. In a joint statement from the Interactive Advertising Bureau of South Africa (IAB), the South African
Online content in South Africa could be regulated by the Press Council rather than the Film and Publication Board, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The FPB earlier
Over the last century, as mass media expanded across the world and entered into most homes, many countries have used laws and regulation to limit children’s exposure to, for example, violence or sex. South Africa has
On 21 May, South Africans will get to hear telecommunications & postal services minister Siyabonga Cwele deliver his second budget vote speech. It will be a report card for a minister who has been in the role for precisely a year. He is unlikely to
