BusinessTech reports that the minister told a departmental briefing earlier this week that she would be presenting the draft White Paper on the Audio-Visual and Digital Content Policy to parliament shortly, before publishing it for public comment. 

According to the minister, the White Paper will update the broadcasting policy to:

• Create a fairer environment for traditional broadcasters, video-on-demand providers and video-sharing platforms;
• Promote South African content;
• Promote diversity of voices in the media, nation building and social cohesion;
• Propose approaches and strategies to deal with the broadcasting spectrum over the next years;
• Propose new approaches to protect children, minors, and the vulnerable;
• Limit availability and ability to tackle on/off line harmful material and hate speech better.

Dlodlo also indicated that she would continue to push the Film and Publications Board (FPB) as a means of protecting children and consumers from exposure to harmful and illegal content online.

This will include extending the current rating system and content regulatory regime to online content-providing services (like Netflix, and other streaming services).

The Films and Publications Amendment Bill 2015 had previously come under scrutiny from members of industry and the public, over concerns that it would be used as a means of censorship for online content.

This includes specific instances where the FPB will be allowed to regulate user-generated content (such as YouTube videos, pictures, and music), and possibly the blocking of non-compliant online distributors at an ISP level.

BusinessTech