Tougher rules urged to combat cyber violence

Government officials and scholars in South Africa have called for more regulation over digital platforms to reduce rising cyber violence and crimes that disproportionately target vulnerable groups such as women, children, minorities and migrants.

They made the comment following the recent release of research on cyber violence by UNESCO in partnership with the Social Media 4 Peace South Africa Coalition. The coalition includes 11 organizations that tackle, among other issues, online hate speech, misinformation and disinformation.

The report shows that there is an increase in online abuse with few or difficult-to-obtain remedies in South Africa. The research on freedom of expression, online hate speech, and content governance in South Africa shows that social media enables xenophobia and anti-migrant sentiments with fabricated crime statistics.

It also shows that women, children, minorities, and poor people are targeted online with no recourse despite the existence of laws in South Africa that protect them.

Tinotenda Bangajena, one of the researchers from Moxii Africa, a pan-African media watchdog and digital rights organization, conducted interviews between March and May. She stated that respondents said they are bullied online, and when they report the case at the police station, the law enforcement agents seem to be ignorant of how to handle such cases.

"Platforms should take accountability for harm or hate speech posted on their platforms and have interventions to address that. People are calling for more laws and enforcement of cybercrimes. Law enforcement officials have to be trained to handle online harms," said Bangajena.

Nomzamo Zondi, senior manager of communications and media at South Africa's Information Regulator, said legislation to deal with online harms is fragmented. She said they will take corresponding measures to ensure digital platforms show accountability in the use of personal information online. The Information Regulator is a body that regulates the sharing and processing of information.

Solly Malatsi, minister of communications and digital technologies, said the report touches on conversations South Africa needs to have about hate speech and content governance, universal access to information, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence. He said there has been an increase in fake news, misinformation, and disinformation, which is a threat to democracy.

Vulnerable groups

Malatsi said vulnerable groups such as women, children and the elderly are more often the targets of harassment, cyberbullying, stalking and fraud.

Governments should create policies and regulatory frameworks that create safe, inclusive and progressive use of the internet for all South Africans, he said.

The report recommends that the government should strengthen existing coordination and establish mechanisms to tackle online harms. They recommend that the government should set out a coordination framework spelling out institutional responsibilities, referral directions and priority areas for action.

Mpho Makhubela, from Lawyers for Human Rights, said that in many cases when people report harmful content to digital platforms, they usually get a response that there is no violation of their standards.

There have been suicides among learners, and attacks on some people as a result of harmful content on social media in South Africa, he said.

The "large technology companies" should be forced to make interventions to protect against online harm, he said.

The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.