South African Internet service providers (ISPs) will become part of the ongoing fight against child pornography, in terms of the new Film and Publication Amendment Act.
The legislation, aimed at cracking down on child pornography and closing loopholes, was approved in the National Assembly yesterday.
Deputy home affairs minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Ngakula said in the second reading debate of the Amendment Bill yesterday that concerns had been ironed out, and agreement had been reached with ISPs on their role.
Mapisa-Ngakula said the drafting of the Bill had involved consultations with the law enforcement agencies, academics, community activists, non-governmental organisations and ISPs, and had involved many versions and redrafting.
"We are certain that the product that is presented before you today is the one that takes into account all the contributions and that every role-player is satisfied that this is the best way we can approach the problem," she said.
Noting that child pornography was "not just something that is happening many miles away across the sea, but a crime with real victims who are South African," Mapisa-Ngakula said: "The Act aims to make it much more easier for the law enforcers to bring to book those who are online paedophiles."
She added that the Act creates liability and obligations on the part of ISPs to help reduce the scourge of child abuse online.
"One of the immediate benefits of this amendment is that we will be able to work hand-in-hand with the ISPs in launching a public hotline through which the public can report violations of the Act, both on the Internet and in film, including other materials such as interactive games, magazines and DVDs," she said. The hotline will be operational by the end of April.
Mapisa-Ngakula said the Act also aimed to increase the maximum sentence for child pornography crimes and remove child pornography from any category of classifiable material both in film and the Internet, so that it is purely regarded as criminal in terms of the law.
In line with the recommendations of the King report, the government also intends to make structural changes in the composition of the Film and Publication Board.
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