Meta in hot water over inadequate child protection measures

July 15, 2025 118

Social media law expert, Emma Sadlier, says the ruling which ordered Meta to shutdown anonymous Instagram accounts and WhatsApp channels distributing child pornography in South Africa is a crucial step in ensuring that children are protected from online exploitation.

The High Court in Johannesburg ordered the tech giant to close down the more than 30 accounts on both platforms on Monday.

Meta is known for its social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

According to Sadlier, the WhatsApp channels reportedly included explicit images and videos of learners, with some filmed in school bathrooms. One of the channels has over 11 000 followers, which are mostly children.

In one incident, a video of a grade 11 pupil having sex with a girl in a room was shared on the channel, while another shows a grade 12 boy having sex with a grade 9 girl in a school bathroom.

Judge Mudunwazi Makamu also ordered that Meta provide the applicants, Digital Law Company (DLC), with information of who is behind the accounts that were flagged.

In the scathing judgment, Makamu said children have been victimised by the publication of the shocking material.

Speaking to YNews, Sadlier says investigations revealed that the person behind these profiles was soliciting sexual content from school children.

The expert also raised concern over the impact of the exposure to such content, saying there’s a case where two people committed suicide after a video of them engaging in sexual acts was shared online.

Sadlier says Meta has blood on its hands and had until midday today to delete the Instagram accounts and Whatsapp channels.

Sadlier says while it has deleted most of the WhatsApp channels, the tech giant hasn’t furnished them with the information regarding the identity of the person or people behind the controversial accounts.

She exclusively revealed that they have sent another letter of demand to the tech firm.

This should’ve happened yesterday. You can’t just sit back while our children are exploited like this. Justice must be swift and unapologetic. Shut it all down and name the perpetrator, our kids aren’t collateral.

— JusticeWarrior (@justice4_sa) July 15, 2025