A Landmark Decision in South Africa’s Battle Against Online Child Exploitation
In a landmark decision on July 14, 2025, the Gauteng High Court ordered Meta, the parent company of Instagram and WhatsApp, to immediately shut down multiple anonymous accounts and channels sharing explicit material depicting the sexual abuse of South African schoolchildren. This court order marks a significant step in South Africa’s ongoing battle against online child exploitation. Moreover, it sends a strong message to social media platforms about their responsibilities in protecting children.
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Details of the Court Order
Judge Mudunwazi Makamu presided over an urgent court application brought by The Digital Law Company (DLC), experts in social media law and digital content regulation. The court ordered Meta to deactivate all identified Instagram profiles and WhatsApp channels by midnight on Monday, July 14. Additionally, Meta was required to provide all available information about the creators of these accounts by midday Tuesday, July 15.
Despite the urgency of the order, Meta failed to comply with the deadlines set by the court. They failed to remove the identified content or disclose the creators’ information by Tuesday afternoon. This non-compliance prompted further legal scrutiny. Consequently, the DLC planned additional enforcement actions to ensure that Meta adheres to the court’s ruling.
Background and Development of the Case
The issue came to light on July 11, 2025, when the Digital Literacy Coalition (DLC) discovered several anonymous social media accounts sharing disturbing child sexual abuse material targeting local minors. Given the severity of the situation, the DLC filed an urgent, uncontested emergency application with the High Court. They called on Meta to take immediate action in line with its legal and moral obligations to remove such harmful content.
Emma Sadleir Berkowitz, founder of the DLC, revealed in an affidavit that their internal investigation uncovered a troubling scale of material being shared online. The content’s widespread nature led to the DLC’s swift legal intervention to safeguard children. They aimed to ensure that South African laws, including those around child pornography, were upheld.
Legal Framework and Enforcement
South African law, including the Criminal Law (Sexual Offenses and Related Matters) Amendment Act (SORMA) and the Films and Publications Act, criminalizes the production, distribution, and possession of child pornography. These laws provide severe penalties for offenders, including life imprisonment. The High Court’s order underscores the need for platforms like Meta to act swiftly when made aware of illegal content. Failure to comply could result in contempt of court charges and regulatory penalties.
This ruling also reinforces the efforts of South African law enforcement, especially the Serial and Electronic Crime Unit (SECU) of the South African Police Service (SAPS). They have been working tirelessly to investigate and apprehend those involved in digital child exploitation.
The Film and Publication Board (FPB), which assists in the identification and technical analysis of suspected child sexual abuse material, plays an important role. They support criminal prosecutions with expert testimony.
Challenges in Combatting Online Child Exploitation
The anonymous nature of social media accounts makes it difficult to track and remove harmful content. This is especially true when perpetrators use encrypted platforms like WhatsApp to spread unlawful material. This highlights a critical issue in the fight against online child exploitation: the challenge of ensuring privacy while also preventing abuse.
The Gauteng High Court ruling sets an important legal precedent. It shows that international tech companies operating in South Africa must adhere to local laws for child protection. As social media platforms struggle to balance privacy concerns with the need for content moderation, South African authorities have made it clear that the protection of children must take precedence.
Community and Government Response
South African government officials, including the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies and the Film and Publication Board (FPB), have welcomed the ruling as a crucial intervention to protect vulnerable children online. Communications Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni echoed these sentiments. He stated that the decision is a step forward in ensuring that tech companies are held accountable for the content shared on their platforms.
Child protection organizations and civil society groups have continued to advocate for stronger laws, greater public awareness, and more robust tools to detect and remove abusive content online. They are urging the government to build on this ruling by introducing enhanced digital safety measures for children.
The Line Is Drawn: Enforcing Local Laws in the Digital Age
The Gauteng High Court’s decision sends a strong message that tech platforms cannot be exempt from adhering to local laws. This is especially true when it comes to the safety of children. Meta’s failure to meet the court-imposed deadlines has highlighted the need for stronger accountability and stricter enforcement mechanisms for tech companies operating in South Africa.
Moving forward, an ongoing partnership between the government, civil society, law enforcement, and private tech firms will be essential. They must work together to strengthen detection systems, improve legal frameworks, and foster international cooperation in the fight against online child exploitation. Only through such collaborative efforts can South Africa—and the world—hope to effectively combat this growing threat.
