South Africa’s Film and Publication Board (FPB) has successfully secured convictions in all 18 child sexual abuse material (CSAM) cases it analysed during the first three quarters of the 2024/25 financial year, the board’s acting CEO Ephraim Thlako told Parliament’s Standing Committee.
The cases were referred by the South African Police Services (SAPS), and Thlako credited the strong collaboration between FPB child protection officers, who are trained social workers, and law enforcement for the 100% conviction rate. Of the 178,411 hours of content the FPB analysed, 7,461 hours were confirmed as CSAM.
“This evidence is then provided to the prosecuting authorities, who present it in court,” Thlako explained, emphasising that the courts’ tough stance sends a clear message that CSAM will not be tolerated.
Beyond digital content, the FPB continues to police physical media, having conducted 574 inspections and 19 raids, issued 108 compliance notices and 14 takedown orders, and confiscated material worth approximately R1 million. Thlako noted that the sale of illicit DVDs remains an ongoing issue, citing examples where seemingly child-friendly labels like “Coco Melon” were used to mask hardcore pornographic material sold to unsuspecting children.
Expanding protection through education
Recognising that enforcement alone is not enough, the FPB has also ramped up its outreach efforts. Partnering with the Department of Basic Education, the board has conducted 38 programmes, reaching over 11,217 children in the first two quarters of the fiscal year, to promote digital safety and prevent cyberbullying.
“It is one thing to use enforcement, but media and digital literacy is critical in mitigating risk,” Thlako said.
Addressing challenges across social media platforms
One of the major hurdles the FPB faces is the lack of consistency in community guidelines across social media platforms. Thlako pointed out that harmful videos, once removed from one platform, often reappear on another. He urged the standardisation of platform guidelines to prevent content migration.
To monitor harmful online activities, the FPB operates a dedicated social media monitoring unit, which works alongside enforcement teams to issue takedown notices in cooperation with platform providers.
The regulator also acts on complaints from the public, investigating 20 cases in the past year involving CSAM, impersonation, bestiality, and non-consensual sharing of sexual images, commonly known as revenge porn.
Thlako reaffirmed the FPB’s commitment to a proactive and collaborative approach to protecting South Africa’s digital and physical spaces from harmful content.