INTRODUCTION Social media refers to forms of electronic communication through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, videos and other content. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, social media has proven to be a useful tool through which teachers and learners can communicate. This enables them to facilitate learning while adhering to the social distancing [...]
The Pretoria High Court, today, granted an urgent interdict compelling South Africa’s Department of Basic Education (“the Department”) to publish matric results on various media platforms. This was after the Department announced, on 10 January 2022, that it would no longer permit matric results to be published on public media platforms. The Department’s failure to oppose the interdict is a [...]
I recently had an interview with Ligwalagwala FM on the dangers of posting nude photographs of children online. Who is considered a child in South Africa? Section 18 of the Children’s Act, 2005 provides that a child is anyone under the age of 18 years old. A child becomes a major / adult upon reaching the age of 18. Posting nude photographs of [...]
The Europe, Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”) Child Safety Summit (“the Summit”) hosted by Google and Facebook took place on the 18 and 19 April 2018 in Dublin, Ireland. Various participants from around the world attended the Summit to offer their expertise in assisting with child safety online. NGOs, governments and industry from around Europe, the Middle East and Africa [...]
Most parents / caregivers and even schools have never even heard of the concept of child protection software or even that it exists. As the world of social media and the vastness of the internet grow every day, child protection software is a must! So what is it? Software applications or programmes that a parent/caregiver or school can install to [...]
Children and Internet Safety An issue that is becoming more highlighted in Society and awareness albeit slowly is starting to spread. With more and more incidents of cyberbullying, child pornography and the like being covered by the press, parents, teachers and caregivers are finally starting to ask questions and take note of child safety on the internet. Social Media [...]
The recent decision by the South African courts on 19 October 2017, has stirred a big public reaction. The South Gauteng High Court ruled that the common law defence of reasonable chastisement available to parents/caregivers, in defending themselves for the corporal punishment of their children, is unconstitutional and no longer applies. Corporal punishment in schools was abolished by the South [...]
In light of World Day Against Child Labour 2017, we have highlighted the labour laws with respect to children. Firstly, child labour is not legal in South Africa. However, children can’t use this as an excuse to get out of doing the dishes. Not all work by children is deemed to be child labour, for example, reasonable household chores are [...]
Web Rangers is a digital literacy programme designed to allow young people to gain critical skills and knowledge around online safety that they use to create innovative campaigns that promote safe internet usage and champion their rights in the digital world. The programme is about creating young digital citizens who know how to use the internet responsibly and encourage their [...]
It seems a panic has swept the globe due to the “new” online social media game: the Blue Whale. After signing up, players are assigned a curator who then issues tasks; similar to a scene straight out of the movie “Nerve”, except with no reward. The tasks range from waking up at weird hours to watching strange videos. On the [...]
