The Film and Publication Board (FPB) is planning to incorporate generative artificial intelligence (AI) into its regulatory processes, as it seeks to improve the monitoring, analysis and classification of the growing volume of content available online.
The content watchdog’s shift towards becoming a digital content regulator has been underway over the last few years, with the organisation previously outlining strategies to build its technological capacity alongside its expanded online mandate.
In 2022, then-interim CEO Dr Mashilo Boloka told ITWeb the FPB was taking a phased approach to its modernisation strategy, beginning with organisational transformation and technological capacity. This would be followed by making the organisation more digitally-driven by automating processes that had historically been manual.
The longer-term plan included developing greater business intelligence and predictive capabilities to help the regulator respond to rapidly-growing volumes of online content, he said at the time.
Advocate Makhosazana Lindhorst, acting CEO of the FPB, tells ITWeb the organisation has already approved a digitisation and artificial intelligence strategy, with implementation incorporated into its broader five-year strategic planning.
“The strategy provides a framework for the responsible adoption and use of AI technologies to improve organisational efficiency, strengthen service delivery and support the execution of the FPB’s mandate.
“Implementation of this strategy is prioritised in the FPB's annual performance plans, aligned to FPB's 2025-2030 strategic plan and progress is monitored on a quarterly basis,” notes Lindhorst.
The organisation has identified generative AI − for content monitoring, analysis, classification and case management − as one of the technology investments it wants to explore over the next three to five years, she continues.
Lindhorst says the objective is to use AI to help the regulator handle larger volumes of content, while improving the consistency and efficiency of its regulatory processes.
“Adoption of generative AI is important for content monitoring, analysis/classification and case management systems. We are also looking at implementing generative AI solutions to support content analysis/classification, with the aim of improving efficiency, consistency and the capacity to process large volumes of content, although these technologies have not yet been implemented within our processes,” Lindhorst states.
Watching online
The FPB is a government agency that classifies and regulates films, video games and certain publications to protect children from harmful content and other violations of the Films and Publications Act of 2019.
The organisation previously told ITWeb that the budget for the technology resources needed to implement the digital strategy of the Films and Publications Act of 2019 is expected to reach up to R120 million annually.
In line with advancements in digital technologies, the Act seeks to ensure South African citizens are protected from content in films, games and online platforms that could cause them moral, emotional or psychological harm.
According to Lindhorst, the FPB is already using technology to supplement its human monitoring capabilities, including online monitoring tools that crawl social media platforms and the wider internet for real-time mentions of keywords associated with harmful or prohibited content.
“The system generates alerts that enable the FPB to investigate potential cases of unlawfully distributing explicit or harmful content online, and gather additional information. This gives the organisation a proactive monitoring capability rather than relying solely on complaints from the public. The technology is supported by a dedicated team of online monitors that conduct daily monitoring of the online environment.”
The monitors also conduct spot checks on registered streaming platforms accessible to South African audiences, examining whether content carries the required age ratings and consumer advice, she notes.
Streaming scrutiny
The FPB's online monitoring extends beyond identifying harmful material, to checking if video-on-demand streaming platforms are complying with South African regulatory requirements.
Online monitors request classification reports from streaming platforms and their distributors after sampling titles on registered platforms. These reports then undergo quality assurance processes to determine whether the FPB's classification guidelines have been applied correctly and consistently.
“The FPB has a dedicated team of online monitors responsible for proactively monitoring the online environment on a daily basis. The monitors also have access to registered online streaming platforms, where regular spot checks are conducted on titles available to South African audiences. These checks are undertaken to verify compliance with requirements relating to the display of age ratings and consumer advice.
“The team is supported by the online monitoring tools and the hotline channels, including the web-based portal and WhatsApp reporting platform. These mechanisms enable the team to identify and respond to harmful and/or prohibited content, as well as matters requiring further investigation,” Lindhorst explains.
Together, these channels create additional routes into the regulator's monitoring and enforcement processes. The FPB also monitors platforms that may be operating without registration.
Where potentially non-compliant or unregistered streaming services are identified, the organisation says it can either be assisted with registration, or referred to its enforcement committee for non-compliance.
The FPB’s expanding online enforcement role was underscored this month, when its enforcement committee imposed R16.175 million in fines on 21 commercial content service providers following physical and online compliance inspections.
The affected distributors, 16 of which are based in SA and the remainder abroad, were found to have contravened the FPB Act, with most of the content distributed online.
The penalties included fines for unregistered distribution, unclassified adult films, and failure to display age restrictions and consumer advice, and operating adult premises without the required licence.
Global activity
The FPB's technology strategy extends beyond SA through its membership of INHOPE, the international network of hotlines working to combat child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online.
Through the network, the FPB uses the ICCAM platform to exchange information, classify suspected CSAM and coordinate action with international hotline members.
“As part of this membership, the FPB utilises the ICCAM platform, which enables member hotlines internationally to exchange information, classify and coordinate the removal of CSAM from the internet. As part of the process, the FPB investigates and identifies the source country of websites hosting suspected CSAM,” says Lindhorst.
Where suspected CSAM is hosted in SA, the FPB refers the matter to relevant law enforcement agencies. Where it is hosted outside the country, the information can be referred to the appropriate international hotline through INHOPE's established processes.
Enforcement priority
While technology is becoming increasingly important to the FPB's regulatory approach, the organisation says it continues to place compliance monitoring and enforcement among its key priorities.
In the 2024/25 financial year, the organisation reported 12 arrests linked to the distribution of CSAM and other harmful material, following investigations conducted with law enforcement agencies.
At the time, the FPB said it had analysed 218 582 online images and videos, of which 18 945 were confirmed as harmful. Its online monitors and social media listening systems were also used to identify potential non-compliance with the FPB Act.
Outlining the FPB's priorities for the next three years, Lindhorst points out: “Our priorities include increasing self-generated revenue, accelerating the deployment of digitisation and AI technologies to improve regulatory efficiency, and strengthening compliance monitoring and enforcement.”
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