We may not have a consistent supply of power to keep the lights on, but if there’s one thing that South Africans do have, it’s a level of freedom that we make the most of. In terms of entertainment, we’ve got it made. We can create content online, upload it and publish it without having to worry about a squad of goons bashing down our door for daring to publish a highlight reel of Apex Legends kills.
That may be changing soon.
The controversial amendment to the Film and Publications Act is now literally a signature away from being made law, as the bill recently got the nod from Parliament and the National Council of Provinces:
What does this mean for you, the streamer and content creator? According to the bill, failing to register with the FPB and uploading content could have dire consequences:
Any person who knowingly distributes or exhibits in public a film or game without first having been registered with the Board as a distributor or exhibitor of films or games shall be guilty of an offence and liable, upon conviction, to a fine not exceeding R150 000 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding eight months or to both a fine and such imprisonment.
Imagine going to jail, for uploading a stream of Apex Legends. Imagine sitting in a cell with rapists and murderers because you wanted to stream your games. Madness. It still remains to be seen just how the FPB even plans to enforce these draconian rules once the president signs the bill. Even on a local scale, policing the internet is a massive task and one that can only be done so by turning off access to it entirely.
According to the bill, our daily uploads are breaking the law and I won’t lie to you guys: I’m a little bit scared right now. Hell, store fronts like Steam and Good Old Games? They’ll need to register with the FPB before they’re allowed to sell games locally, and you can just see all the shits they give right now for going through that process.
It’s a dark day for the country, in more ways than one. But hopefully, it’s also the start of a fight and a concerted effort from all spheres of media to take a stand against a fascist bill that is thinly disguised as being for the greater good of the nation.
Last Updated: March 20, 2019
Original Heretic
March 20, 2019 at 15:40
The people: “Things in SA can’t get worse right now!”
ANC: “Hold my beer…”
Pariah
March 20, 2019 at 15:41
As they pick themselves up from the rubble they’ve just created: “Vote ANC!”
For the Emperor!
March 20, 2019 at 15:02
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/35a66969bd7ae9f741f8aeb9bccd983e75a7b87928d91f0a25ccb61e3643314e.gif
Dutch Matrix
March 20, 2019 at 15:03
Pardon me but HOW THE FUCK IS THIS DRACONIAN PEACE OF “LAW” FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF THIS FUCKING NATION?
FOR WHO? THE FUCKTARD FPB?
Guild
March 20, 2019 at 15:03
So let me get this right, I run the risk of going to jail if I stream on Twitch or upload a gaming clip to Youtube. My streaming services I watch will need to apply to FPB for licenses which they will laugh at and probably pull out of SA. The gaming services I buy games from like Steam, GOG, Humble Bundle, PSN, Xbox and Nintendo will also need to register and probably not, leading to my ISP receiving a block notice for those IP’s and effectively blocking me from ever accessing the stuff I have bought or to buy anything new?
Am I right with this assumption?
Plus the fucking water and power problems……
Pariah
March 20, 2019 at 15:13
This news has proper fucked my mood up. Dark days ahead, not just because Eskom is run by incompetence.
Guild
March 20, 2019 at 15:32
Yesterday I was fucked off over the power problems in my area. Monday had 8 hours electricity, yesterday had 12 hours. This is cherry on top time to leave SA and move somewhere else.
Admiral Chief
March 20, 2019 at 15:32
My fiance has been asking me quite frequently about Canada…
Dutch Matrix
March 20, 2019 at 15:40
Do it. Patriotism is a two way street.
Pariah
March 20, 2019 at 15:40
Why? Is Canada Ok? Did something happen to it?
Admiral Chief
March 20, 2019 at 16:21
It is going to take an Admiral to the immigration list
Pariah
March 20, 2019 at 16:41
Shame. Poor Canada. 😛
Guild
March 20, 2019 at 15:40
Also one of the choices on the list
Pariah
March 20, 2019 at 15:40
It’s fast becoming a very short list.
1) South Africa
2) Not South Africa
Guild
March 20, 2019 at 15:41
Pretty much
Admiral Chief
March 20, 2019 at 15:03
So much for my PUBG streaming dreams. Screw it, I’ll go to murica and do it there
Neji
March 20, 2019 at 15:12
It feels/reads more like blanket cover for censorship.
Dutch Matrix
March 20, 2019 at 15:12
I have so many questions. Like how will this be policed? Investigated? Prosecuted?
And with a country broken by violent crimes, can our “justice” system really handle this as well?
Guild
March 20, 2019 at 15:12
I think ISP’s will receive regular notifications on which IP’s to block. So they will basically restrict anyone from accessing it
Tbone187
March 20, 2019 at 15:23
Fines mate…It’s a money making scheme!Just like E-tolls!
Rowan Govender
March 20, 2019 at 15:53
Yeah. Just don’t pay. VPN if necessary.
ElFakio
March 20, 2019 at 15:13
So everyone stream everything . Lets make the backlog so massive it won’t be enforceable
Dutch Matrix
March 20, 2019 at 15:13
I will stream myself playing Pac-Man
rollingmol
March 21, 2019 at 18:21
I will stream myself watching you play pacman ?
Animated Meanderings
March 21, 2019 at 23:44
I will stream myself watching you watching him play Pacman.
rollingmol
March 22, 2019 at 11:05
?streamception will break the matrix
konfab
March 20, 2019 at 15:22
They are just removing all toxicity from the field of gaming and making it into a safe space where woman and people of colour can participate. Isn’t that what all you people wanted?
Just think of all the harm that will be removed by the government doing this. Pewdiepie’s infamous twitch stream would never had been allowed to trigger the gentle hearts of South Africans.
Pariah
March 20, 2019 at 15:32
And of course those horrid, evil Terraria streams. And Slime Rancher? VILE! HORRIBLE!
Tracy Benson
March 20, 2019 at 16:52
You’re directing your energy into being angry at the wrong group of people
konfab
March 20, 2019 at 17:03
What is wrong with the government making sure that all the content that South Africa produces online is safe and family friendly?
Don’t you care about my feelings? 🙁 I also care deeply about woman and people of colour, and they certainly need their feelings protected as well at all costs!
Just remember, words are violence, and the government is protecting people from violence.
Gareth Runnalls
March 20, 2019 at 18:23
I dont think you have put much thought into how this is going to work or affect people… This is our government you are talking about. How smoothly or quickly do you expect any of this to happen? Maybe an example will help. I want to Stream some Apex with my mates on Twitch. I will mark my content as ‘Mature’ or ’18+’ on Twitch, you know, for the kids. But before I can hit that ‘Start Stream’ button, I first have to register at the FPB (a once off), and I will need to submit my request to stream to them for each stream, THEN wait for approval to hit that button. With thousands of streamers doing the same thing everyday, how long do you think you will have to wait, for the FPB, basically the government, to approve my stream before I can hit that button?
This will sink businesses and streamers that rely on the medium for their bread and butter, it will mean that we cannot have any competitive edge with getting video reviews and like out in a time frame that will be competitive in any way, it will discourage the creatives and youth from ever touching the medium to begin with, and will basically gag any would be entrepreneurs looking to leverage the medium to give them any leverage or edge.
This isnt about race, or woman. Its about hamstringing growth as a nation by effectively ripping the carpet out from under the feet of one of the fastest growing markets on the planet.
Toxicity in the gaming community is a problem, but our government cant even keep the fucking lights on, never mind creating a process to streamline, approve and monitor video/digital content across the country.
Gavin Mannion
March 20, 2019 at 18:34
I’d recommend not feeding the trolls
Guild
March 22, 2019 at 10:06
Thing is you wouldn’t even be able to stream because Twitch as a service would have to register with the FPB which it won’t and would then be blocked out right. So we become like China where the ISP’s have been issued lists of servers and IP’s to block. No Youtube or Twitch or any other service that doesn’t register
Caveshen Rajman
March 20, 2019 at 17:33
This ain’t it, son.
BeatleJews
March 21, 2019 at 10:43
The SJW is strong in this one
Graeme Selvan
March 20, 2019 at 15:23
I remember when I was at XBOX there were whispers of this. Never thought the stupidity of the situation would ever take off. Its just pure,utter bullshit!
Tbone187
March 20, 2019 at 15:32
This is what happens when a 3rd world country tries to punch above their weight. What do you expect from leaders who prioritise changing the name of roads instead of helping the people begging on the same roads?
Dutch Matrix
March 20, 2019 at 15:33
Or fixing said roads. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4ff17cc938619e6587b52c90446e16773aba9df662e7502658f560f7bd2cdb1c.jpg
Vereeniging roads.
Tbone187
March 20, 2019 at 15:41
Ouch…Looks like Galactis is on his way!
Tbone187
March 20, 2019 at 15:32
So much for Google Stadia 🙂
Rowan Govender
March 20, 2019 at 15:41
Correct me if I’m wrong, but this at one point only applied to people who were earning money from this? I.E. You could still do it as long as you weren’t monetising it?
Has that changed?
Rowan Govender
March 20, 2019 at 15:53
Also, at one point I remember seeing that you could self-classify since there was realistically no way the FPB could handle all the video content that people were uploading.
Kentarou
March 20, 2019 at 18:05
I think the self classification part is still there, but you have to pay registration fees, etc.
Matthew Holliday
March 20, 2019 at 15:53
So wait, this is specifically for “people” not exclusively media outlets or monentized video?
If I upload a video to my youtube account or facebook, I am breaking the law?
What constitutes a distributor or exhibitor?
And how is this being policed?
Dutch Matrix
March 20, 2019 at 16:03
Mr Holliday, did you upload a video to your Facebook account of your dog being all cutesy? Yes? How dare you! 8 Months in the slammer!
Matthew Holliday
March 20, 2019 at 16:12
Mark Treloar
March 20, 2019 at 15:53
If JMPD cant even direct traffic during load shedding how do they expect to arrest people for streaming
Pariah
March 20, 2019 at 16:13
Well, nobody’s streaming during load shedding, so that makes their job easier.
Dutch Matrix
March 20, 2019 at 16:32
Load shedding… Hmmmm. We should all film our bowelmovements and put that forward for classification. Shitty protest and all but a protest nonetheless,
Pariah
March 20, 2019 at 16:41
Better than actually flinging poop.
Mark Treloar
March 20, 2019 at 15:53
Can you still be prosecuted if you uploaded your video in another country?
Nick Els
March 20, 2019 at 16:52
I don’t know about everyone here but I am still going to create content no matter what. This is similar to that net neutrality bullshit in the states. We cannot allow them to govern us on content creation.
G8crasha
March 20, 2019 at 17:02
3 Letters – VPN! Try and trace me MOFO! I deal in cryptocurrency BTW.
Ruan Fourie
March 20, 2019 at 18:34
It all just makes me angry. The day I lose my game library is when I’ll emigrate. That’s the line.
BeatleJews
March 21, 2019 at 10:34
Your game library is the least of your worries
R3D Kazii
March 20, 2019 at 18:44
I’m glad I’m moving overseas. This country is absolutely FUCKED.
Gavin Mannion
March 20, 2019 at 18:53
Where you going?
BeatleJews
March 21, 2019 at 10:34
Great choice, it will be better for you and your family
KomboKitten
March 20, 2019 at 22:58
What the fuck is with their priorities?
BeatleJews
March 21, 2019 at 10:34
I guess they assumed white people play video games, may as well milk that cow now
Purple_Dragon
March 21, 2019 at 06:16
This is so stupid. Hope President is smart enough not to sign it.
BeatleJews
March 21, 2019 at 10:34
Our last hope is that the Americans find reason to enforce executive action and assume control like they did in Afghanistan and Iraq to stabilise those governments. The US has a lot of vested interest here and still occupy Botswana.
Of course taking of power won’t be simple and a few or hopefully many red barets will die but that is a price I can live with.
Paul@Gaming
March 21, 2019 at 13:19
So here is a question. My youtube account only get 1.7% of its traffic from South africa. So if I blocked South Africa from my distribution list am I exempt from the bill? Any know the answer to this?
Ian
March 21, 2019 at 14:23
Brilliant
Guild
March 22, 2019 at 09:57
Nope. Cause you wouldn’t be able to upload. Looks as if the solution is to out right block access to anything that doesn’t comply. So we become like China where Youtube is blocked, Twitch is blocked, etc
Yondaime
March 22, 2019 at 10:43
Remember all this when it’s time to vote