The Film and Publication Board (FPB) has launched the Pro-Child website aimed at eliminating child pornography in South Africa. Through the ‘internet hotline’ the Pro-Child website provides the opportunity for members of the public to report and expose incidences of child sexual abuse images found on the Internet. The website is one of the key recommendations made at the recent Anti-Child Pornography Indaba in June.

The website was launched in Johannesburg on 1 July at an event hosted by the Department of Home Affairs and the FPB. Speaking at the launch, Home Affairs Deputy Minister, Malusi Gigaba, said the Internet Hotline was the first of its kind on the African continent and should be used to assist other African countries to intensify the fight against child pornography. Countries as Belgium, Netherlands and the United States, have launched similar websites to fight child pornography.

Gigaba emphasised the need for parents to educate children on the use of Internet, including avoiding websites that contain child pornographic material.

According to the FPB, there are more than 100 000 child pornography sites on the Internet. This is in addition to the so-called “adult websites” which also contain child sexual abuse images.

Speaking about the role of hotlines in the fight against child pornography, FPB Acting Chief Executive Officer, Ayavar Chetty, pointed out that the primary purpose of the website is not to prosecute paedophiles and child molesters, but to be a public partner in the fight against child pornography.

Chetty believes that the internet hotline will help the FPB to work closely with Internet Service Providers (ISPs), the South African Police Service, and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, to remove websites containing child pornography, and make the technology environment safe for children.

Gigaba, says eliminating child pornography requires partnership with all the stakeholders He commended MXit, a free instant messaging programme for mobile phones and PCs, for agreeing to educate its subscribers on child pornography. Gigaba warned that the fight against child pornography should not be the sole responsibility of government, but all citizens.

The internet hotline offers the following safety tips:
1. How do pedophiles and child molesters use the Internet
2. What are the risks to children using the Internet?
3. What you can do to protect your child from Internet predators
4. Summary of useful tips
5. What is "child pornography"
6. What are the laws concerning child pornography
7. Glossary of some expressions associated with the Internet

The Pro-Child website also provides links to child pornography-related articles, research papers, policies and legislation, as well as links to other organisations working in this area.

The internet hotline provides and guarantees a secure and a confidential environment to the public when reporting child pornography. Its staff adheres to the code of ethics as prescribed by National and International Bodies such as the International Association of Internet Hotlines.

The Internet Hotline provides a Feedback Form, to enable members of the public to report websites containing child pornography. The form gives users an option to either identify themselves or remain anonymous when reporting such websites. It also allows them to provide details of the websites they are reporting.

Information gathered through the internet hotline will also be used to also alert ISPs of criminal activities relating to child pornography or images of sexual abuse hosted on their servers.

For more information and to explore the Pro-Child website, click here.

– Butjwana Seokoma, Information Services Coordinator, SANGONeT.

– Picture courtesy of FPB

The Film and Publication Board (FPB) has launched the Pro-Child website aimed at eliminating child pornography in South Africa. Through the ‘internet hotline’ the Pro-Child website provides the opportunity for members of the public to report and expose incidences of child sexual abuse images found on the Internet. The website is one of the key recommendations made at the recent Anti-Child Pornography Indaba in June.

The website was launched in Johannesburg on 1 July at an event hosted by the Department of Home Affairs and the FPB. Speaking at the launch, Home Affairs Deputy Minister, Malusi Gigaba, said the Internet Hotline was the first of its kind on the African continent and should be used to assist other African countries to intensify the fight against child pornography. Countries as Belgium, Netherlands and the United States, have launched similar websites to fight child pornography.

Gigaba emphasised the need for parents to educate children on the use of Internet, including avoiding websites that contain child pornographic material.

According to the FPB, there are more than 100 000 child pornography sites on the Internet. This is in addition to the so-called “adult websites” which also contain child sexual abuse images.

Speaking about the role of hotlines in the fight against child pornography, FPB Acting Chief Executive Officer, Ayavar Chetty, pointed out that the primary purpose of the website is not to prosecute paedophiles and child molesters, but to be a public partner in the fight against child pornography.

Chetty believes that the internet hotline will help the FPB to work closely with Internet Service Providers (ISPs), the South African Police Service, and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, to remove websites containing child pornography, and make the technology environment safe for children.

Gigaba, says eliminating child pornography requires partnership with all the stakeholders He commended MXit, a free instant messaging programme for mobile phones and PCs, for agreeing to educate its subscribers on child pornography. Gigaba warned that the fight against child pornography should not be the sole responsibility of government, but all citizens.

The internet hotline offers the following safety tips:
1. How do pedophiles and child molesters use the Internet
2. What are the risks to children using the Internet?
3. What you can do to protect your child from Internet predators
4. Summary of useful tips
5. What is "child pornography"
6. What are the laws concerning child pornography
7. Glossary of some expressions associated with the Internet

The Pro-Child website also provides links to child pornography-related articles, research papers, policies and legislation, as well as links to other organisations working in this area.

The internet hotline provides and guarantees a secure and a confidential environment to the public when reporting child pornography. Its staff adheres to the code of ethics as prescribed by National and International Bodies such as the International Association of Internet Hotlines.

The Internet Hotline provides a Feedback Form, to enable members of the public to report websites containing child pornography. The form gives users an option to either identify themselves or remain anonymous when reporting such websites. It also allows them to provide details of the websites they are reporting.

Information gathered through the internet hotline will also be used to also alert ISPs of criminal activities relating to child pornography or images of sexual abuse hosted on their servers.

For more information and to explore the Pro-Child website, click here.

– Butjwana Seokoma, Information Services Coordinator, SANGONeT.

– Picture courtesy of FPB