Parliament was this week advised that Internet service providers (ISPs) should be prosecuted if they fail to heed warnings that their networks contain child pornography.
Yavar Chetty, legal counsel for the Film and Publication Board, which is responsible for reviewing and classifying adult or potentially harmful material, told the social development portfolio committee that it is impossible to monitor the Internet, Sapa reports.
The board is proposing that ISPs be informed of the existence of child pornography on computers under their control. Should the provider take no action the police would be called in, as the ISP would be considered to be aiding and abetting in the offence.
In order to make failure to take action an offence, existing legislation would have to be updated and a register of ISPs would need to be established.
"Once you are told there is child porn on your network, you [must] remove it, or action is taken against you," Sapa quotes Chetty as saying.
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