South Africa: Meta Held Accountable By SA Court in Fight Against Online Child Sexual Abuse

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Social media (File photo).
24 July 2025
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)

Following a landmark Gauteng Division of the High Court judgment, Meta must permanently remove dozens of accounts spreading child sexual abuse content and provide information on offenders to South African authorities.

In a landmark ruling, South Africa's Gauteng Division of the High Court has ordered Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, to permanently close dozens of anonymous accounts distributing explicit child sexual abuse material involving local schoolchildren. Meta must also provide identifying information of the offenders to aid prosecution, marking a pivotal step in South Africa's fight against online child abuse.

Emma Sadleir from The Digital Law Co, who has been at the forefront of the legal battle, said the issue escalated after a call from a Centurion school about harmful content spreading rapidly across WhatsApp channels and Instagram accounts, with some gaining 20,000 followers within hours. These accounts cross-promoted content, moving users from Instagram to WhatsApp, where more extreme material circulated.

When Meta failed to act despite repeated reports, The Digital Law Co sought legal intervention. On 14 July 2025, the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Johannesburg ordered Meta and three officials to remove six WhatsApp channels and 30 Instagram profiles, to block the...

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