South Africans have until next Monday to make submissions on the Film and Publications Amendment Bill.
If passed into law the Amendment Bill will make revenge porn and other online crimes punishable in South Africa.
Revenge porn is the distribution of sexually explicit images or videos of individuals without their consent. It can be distributed using social media, text messages, emails or even uploaded onto pornographic websites.
Assistant Manager of Communications and Public Education at Film and Publication Board, Manala Botolo says, “At the moment, cases are handled case by case because most of them include minors, but it ranges from a fine to imprisonment. There’s a Film and Publications Amendment Bill that is making revenge porn and other such crimes online punishable. It is going to be punishable for someone to cyberbully you online or someone to post your pictures without your consent. They can face imprisonment or be fined up to R150 000 or it can be both.”
National Assembly debates Human Rights: 20 March 2019
Films and Publications Amendment Act 11 of 2019
