In September, the Film Publications Board, which has authority over the country’s Internet media, issued a warning to adult sites operating in the country. The warning gave the sites a Dec. 31 deadline to stop selling adult DVDs or distributing adult content online.
Film Publications Board compliance coordinator Yewande Langa said the crackdown on adult websites was part of a series of efforts to shield the nation’s youth from pornography. He added that the board is compiling a list of offending websites that continue to remain online after the deadline. The list will then be turned over to authorities, who plan to shutdown the sites and prosecute the webmasters.
According to a report in a local paper, a South African webmaster who gave his name as “Ian” said he has not yet heard of any sites being shutdown and that it is “business as usual” for the country’s online adult entertainment industry.
Under South African law, the sale of pornography is legal for licensed brick-and-mortar retailers selling to those who are 18-years-old and above.
South African authorities said they targeted websites because many licensed retailers use the Internet to advertise — but not sell — adult DVDs.
