2006-12-09

Porn to emigrate?

UPDATE: FPB spokesman Iyvar Chetty has been quoted as saying that "We would like to be in a position to be able to police the distribution of pictures via cellphones." And, by this he apparently does mean that naughty picture you sent your significant other on Valentine's Day. Sjoe.

South Africa's dreaded Film and Publication Board (FPB, a remarkably resilient left-over from the dark days when police once actually ripped film from the projectors in a cinema where I had already bought a ticket) has ordered local websites to cease distributing pornography by the end of 2006 unless they obtain a license from the FPB. It appears the konsessiekultuur (local version of the Indian license raj) has had another ugly revival and one can only wonder what the aim of the exercise is.

South Africans will certainly still be able to participate in the making of pornography and they will surely still be viewing it. Those wishing to see S/Jannie(s) doing it to J/Sannie(s) however, now have to go to a Danish-operated website and let those poor Danish people make a few dollars and pay taxes in Denmark instead of us selfishly keeping the revenue and taxes in Africa. What about international companies operating in South Africa, like Google? Will they be applying for licenses from the FPB? Anybody doubting whether Google distributes pornography, should click here (but only if over 18, not resident in Saudi Arabia, not currently in the office, not my mother etc.).

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