South Africa: Terminated FPB's regulations addressing harmful and prohibited content under Section 18H and Section 27A of the Films and Publications Act (Notice No. 4526)

On 11 April 2024, the Film and Publication Board (FPB)’s regulations addressing harmful and prohibited content under Section 18H and Section 27A of the Films and Publications Act (Notice No. 4526) were terminated after the FPB announced its withdrawal. The regulations required service providers to implement measures to prevent the hosting or distribution of prohibited content and report to the FPB the steps implemented. The regulations prohibited content included content inciting violence, propagating for war, or advocating hatred based on identifiable group characteristics. The regulations also provided that failure to comply could result in fines up to ZAR 750’000 or imprisonment.