Latest news with #TheDigitalLawCompany
The South African
6 days ago
- The South African
Warning: Why parents should check kids WhatsApp channels
Social media law expert Emma Sadleir has issued an urgent warning to parents across South Africa to monitor their children's WhatsApp channels, following a sharp increase in harmful and illegal content being distributed via the platform, particularly in Gauteng. Sadleir, founder of The Digital Law Company, said that an 'awful thread of communication' is spreading through WhatsApp Channels – a relatively new feature that allows users to broadcast messages to unlimited followers – with children being directly targeted. 'The type of content we're seeing includes child sexual abuse material, defamation, crimen injuria, and the unauthorised sharing of personal details, including social media handles,' Sadleir said. While the disturbing trend has been noted across the country, she flagged Johannesburg as a particular hotspot for this illicit digital activity. Unlike traditional WhatsApp groups, WhatsApp channels can host unlimited followers, making it harder to control who receives content – and who's behind it. Sadleir revealed that children are being added or directed to channels containing explicit and criminal material, often without the knowledge of their parents or guardians. The Digital Law Company is now actively working with legal professionals in preparation for court action aimed at identifying and holding the culprits accountable. Sadleir urged parents to take immediate action: Check your child's WhatsApp Channels by going to the 'Updates' tab (bottom left corner on most devices). Report any illegal or harmful content through WhatsApp's reporting function. Talk to children about the risks of unknown or unsolicited channel invites. 'The only way we can bring these criminals to justice and put pressure on Meta [WhatsApp's parent company] to act, is if people report this content,' she said. This alarming development underscores a broader issue facing South African families: the growing dangers of unsupervised screen time and digital communication platforms. Recent studies have already linked excessive screen time to emotional and behavioural issues in children – but this latest warning adds an urgent criminal safety dimension to the concern. Sadleir's message to parents is clear: 'Be proactive. Be present. Be vigilant.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Business Insider
19-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Meta faces legal battle in South Africa over illicit content involving minors
The decision comes as South Africa grapples with rising cybercrime, including WhatsApp scams and the spread of illegal content. This development follows a high-profile legal case initiated by social media law expert Emma Sadleir, who took action against the tech giant after discovering over 30 Instagram accounts and at least six WhatsApp channels distributing illicit content and personal information of South African schoolchildren. Court documents revealed that new accounts were being created "every few minutes" to distribute the material, indicating an organized and persistent campaign that has sparked nationwide concern and urgent legal action. Sadleir, representing The Digital Law Company, emphasized the importance of protecting vulnerable children. She said, " This is about protecting vulnerable children. Full compliance with the court order is critical to identifying the perpetrators.' In support of the lawsuit, the Pretoria High Court ordered Meta to discontinue the identified accounts and provide subscriber information, including names, email addresses, phone numbers, and IP addresses used at account creation and last login. Despite the urgency, Meta's initial refusal to comply prompted the legal team to file a contempt of court application. The tech giant however argued that the filing had misidentified legal entities, thereby delaying the process. Critics claimed that Meta was avoiding accountability despite having the technical means to respond. Amid growing public and legal pressure, Meta agreed to a settlement on July 18, specifically due to the threat of imprisonment for Meta's Southern Africa representative, Thabiso Makenete. The company has since deactivated over 60 accounts and promised to provide the requested data within three business days under strict confidentiality. Emma Sadleir, founder of The Digital Law Company, described the agreement as unprecedented, she said, " This may be the first time in South Africa that a global tech company has formally agreed in writing to provide such data in compliance with a local court order." Regulatory compliance mars Meta, SA relations Notably, this is not the first time both entities have conflicted. South Africa's Information Regulator has previously had disputes with Meta over compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). In 2024, WhatsApp was criticized for vague privacy terms and unauthorized data-sharing with Meta and third parties. This case adds another layer on recent security concerns, testing Meta's willingness to balance privacy obligations with public safety demands. While child protection advocates have welcomed the ruling as a major step toward digital accountability, digital rights organizations have warned about the broader implications. "We must ensure that data disclosures do not set a precedent for unchecked surveillance," a spokesperson for the South African Digital Rights Forum noted.
IOL News
15-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Gauteng High Court orders Meta to shut down child pornographic accounts on Instagram and WhatsApp
Meta was ordered by the court to shut down child pornographic accounts. Image: File While the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, on Monday evening ordered Meta to shut down several anonymous Instagram accounts and WhatsApp channels, which are distributing explicit child pornography depicting South African school children, this has not yet been done by early Tuesday afternoon. Judge Mudunwazi Makamu also ruled that Meta had to, before noon on Tuesday, furnish The Digital Law Company (DLC) with all information in its possession pertaining to the creator(s) of the WhatsApp channels and Instagram profiles listed in the urgent application. Rorke Wilson of The Digital Law Company on Tuesday said as the matter was heard on Monday evening, the deadline for Meta to shut down the accounts and channels was set to be midnight on Monday. 'However, Meta has not complied with any of the demands and all the deadlines have passed,' Wilson said, adding that they are now contemplating next steps. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading The Digital Law Company turned to court on an extremely urgent basis, which was not opposed, when it became aware of the explicit content involving children on Instagram and WhatsApp. Emma Sadleir Berkowitz, social media law expert and the founder of The Digital Law Company , said in an affidavit that DLC was made aware of some social media accounts depicting shocking material relating to children on Friday. Wilson, meanwhile, had already been dealing with complaints from victims depicted on three other platforms the day before, which related to pupils of schools in Pretoria and Centurion. Upon investigation, the shocking nature of these posts became clear, as they involve the mass distribution of unlawful material involving children to large unidentified audiences who are members of so-called WhatsApp 'community channels', as well as Instagram profiles, Sadleir said. 'The content consists of explicit pornographic images and videos depicting children. The images and videos are often accompanied by other information relating to the individual child depicted, including their name, grade, school, as well as lewd or otherwise offensive descriptions relating to the individual's purported behaviour,' she stated in her affidavit. The material is sourced from the community by sharing links to an anonymous uploading service. Sadleir said that the creator and operator of the Instagram profiles and WhatsApp channels appears to be the same person, using many aliases. From time to time, it appears that Meta administrators will delete or block some of the pages and channels. However, not long after, the same page or channel becomes active again, or another channel crops up replicating the previous one, she explained. These disturbing postings include graphic child pornography and allegations of children being HIV positive – all while identifying children and schools. DLC, however, rushed to court late on Monday when a live WhatsApp channel with more than 11,000 followers threatened to publish pornographic material as well as the private information of children at 8pm on Monday (July 14). Sadleir said a letter of demand was sent to Meta and its officials, requiring that they delete the channels and profiles, and provide DLC with information that will assist in identifying the perpetrator. 'Receipt has been acknowledged, but no meaningful action has been taken,' she said. 'At this stage, it is impossible to identify exactly which children will be affected by the anticipated upload at 20h00, but given the tenor of the message shared by the anonymous user – the harmful effects will be widespread and irreparable,' she told the court. She also told the court that DLC has received reports that girls are being placed on suicide watch after being featured on the channels. 'If we are furnished with the information of the user behind these Instagram and WhatsApp accounts, it will enable us to take appropriate legal steps, such as obtaining a protection order or interdict against this individual,' Sadleir said. As the matter was unopposed, Meta did not file any opposing papers.
The Citizen
15-07-2025
- The Citizen
Gauteng High Court orders Meta to shut child porn accounts targeting SA learners
The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg has ordered tech giant Meta to shut down anonymous Instagram accounts and WhatsApp channels distributing explicit child pornography involving South African learners. According to The Witness, Judge Mudunwazi Makamu granted the order yesterday after an urgent application by the Digital Law Company, directed by social media law expert Emma Sadlier. Makamu agreed with advocate Ben Winks's arguments that children were being victimised through the distribution of explicit material. Makamu ordered Meta to permanently shut down all linked accounts and channels and to 'disable the creator of the WhatsApp channels and Instagram profiles listed… from creating any further WhatsApp channels and Instagram profiles'. The company must also provide Digital Law Company with 'all information' in its possession about the creators. 'The respondents shall, before 12:00 on July 15, furnish to the applicant all information in the first respondent's possession pertaining to the creator(s) of the WhatsApp channels and Instagram profiles.' Sadlier confirmed that The Digital Law Company obtained a High Court order against Meta to shut down certain anonymous Instagram accounts and WhatsApp Channels distributing child pornography. Urgent action to protect children Sadlier confirmed the High Court order against Meta, describing it as crucial for protecting children from online exploitation. 'We count our lucky stars to be able to work with such extraordinary legal minds who understand how important it is to protect our children in this damn crazy world,' she said. The signed order will be sent to the registrar this morning, she told The Citizen. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Emma Sadleir – The Digital Law Company (@thedigitallawcompany) Shocking revelations in court papers In court papers, Sadlier said pornographic material was sourced from the community via an anonymous uploading service called NGL (Not Gonna Lie). She explained that the person behind the Instagram profiles and WhatsApp channels appeared to be the same individual using similar aliases and uploading intimate content received from others. 'It goes without saying that the uploading and distribution of this content is a crime, a flagrant disregard of the law and an egregious violation of constitutional rights, including… the rights to dignity, privacy, the best interests of a child and psychological integrity,' she said. The channels reportedly included explicit images and videos of South African learners, some filmed in school bathrooms. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Emma Sadleir – The Digital Law Company (@thedigitallawcompany) Meta's alleged failure to act Sadlier alleged that while Meta administrators occasionally deleted pages or channels, these were often reinstated or replicated soon after, allowing the illegal content to circulate again. Yesterday, Digital Law Company launched urgent legal action, saying a WhatsApp channel with over 11 000 followers – mostly children – had threatened to publish 'everything' that evening. In a letter to Meta, the company's attorney, Rupert Candy, warned: 'If you do not ensure the deletion of the WhatsApp channels and Instagram profiles before then, the lives of numerous South African children will be irreparably harmed, with potentially suicidal consequences.' Sadlier said investigations revealed the person behind the profiles was soliciting sexual content from learners and distributing it to large audiences on WhatsApp community channels and Instagram profiles. 'The affected individuals face the imminent and irreparable dissemination of their most sensitive and intimate information,' she said. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
