Deputy Minister of Communications Mondli Gungubele has welcomed a Gauteng High Court ruling against tech giant Meta, calling it a crucial step in protecting children from online sexual abuse. The court ordered Meta to shut down several anonymous Instagram accounts and WhatsApp channels distributing child pornography involving South African learners.
The case follows an urgent application by the Digital Law Company, whose founder, Emma Sadleir, began receiving distress messages from children targeted by anonymous social media channels. These platforms, she explained, were used to solicit gossip, rumours, and sexual material, often explicit images of schoolgirls. Some content was reportedly obtained through illegal means or leaks.
Sadleir said: “There were WhatsApp channels with up to 600,000 followers. The scale of this abuse is something I’ve never seen before. Sadly, we’ve heard of several children who attempted or completed suicide after being exposed.”
Although Meta disabled many accounts following the order, it has yet to release the identities of the account holders. Sadleir criticised Meta’s response, saying they suggested pursuing legal action in the U.S. to access information, an approach she described as obstructive.
The court’s intervention has seen more than 100,000 accounts and seven WhatsApp channels removed. However, Sadleir insists much damage had already been done.
She urged parents to closely monitor their children’s device use, especially overnight. “Children shouldn’t sleep with phones. Much of this harmful activity happens in the middle of the night,” she warned.
Meta confirmed it had taken down accounts and submitted reports as required by law. Gungubele stressed the importance of stricter regulation and stakeholder cooperation to prevent further exploitation.
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