Service providers call for more transparency on FPB plan to censor the Internet

A local association representing internet service providers wants submissions on a controversial draft online content policy to be made public.

“South Africa’s Internet Service Providers’ Association has called on the Film and Publications Board (FPB) to make public copies of submissions made by interested parties in response to the FPB’s Draft Online Content Regulation Policy,” the Internet Service Providers’ Association (Ispa) said in a statement.

The policy, which was published on March 4, attracted controversy because it sought to regulate all online content in SA, including any "film, game or certain publication" that would include classification of material on international platforms such as Facebook and Google.

“While drawing support from some quarters, the draft policy was also widely criticised as being unconstitutional, unlawful and incapable of implementation. The FPB has stated that it wishes to finalise the draft policy by the end of March 2016,” Ispa added.

The FPB conducted public consultations into the draft policy earlier this year and 14 657 people signed a petition against the implementation of the policy.

The FPB, meanwhile, has responded to the statement from Ispa.

“We anticipate the policy to be finalised by the end of this year and will be published after running its due policy process -  submitted to the FPB Council and then presented before the Minister for final approval (a timeline that is not in FPB's control) and thereafter publicised,” Janine Raftopoulos, FPB communications and public education manager, told Fin24.

“The submissions have been used to revise the policy and this is what will be publicised, the content of which will have been informed by the content received in the submissions,” Raftopoulos told Fin24.

Source: News24