HIV in South Africa: Why Rolling out a Groundbreaking New Shot Will Miss a Critical Group of Men
Targeting men who move around for work is crucial for the success of a new HIV/Aids treatment.
Meta
AI Policy Debacle Shows Dangers of Technology Used Without Public Oversight
SA’s draft policy contained sources fabricated by a large language model
African Languages for AI: The Project That’s Gathering a Huge New Dataset
When a language isn’t in the data, its speakers aren’t in the product – and AI cannot be safe, useful, or fair for them.
Government welcomes provisional outcomes of the media market inquiry
Government welcomes provisional outcomes of the media market inquiry
Government says it acknowledges and welcomes the provisional outcomes of the Media and Digital Platforms Market Inquiry (MDPMI), led by the Competition Commission of South Africa.
This week, the preliminary report from the commission regarding the MDPMI) garnered attention for its strong recommendation that Google should pay as much as R500 million yearly to compensate South Africa’s news industry.
The commission believes that South Africa should impose a digital tariff of 5% to 10% on major tech companies such as Google, Meta and Microsoft if they fail to fairly compensate media organisations for the content they distribute on their platforms.
The MDPMI began on 17 October 2023 and aims to investigate the characteristics of digital platforms that distribute news media content.
The focus is on identifying features that may hinder, distort, or restrict competition, or that undermine the objectives of the Competition Act.
The Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) has since described the inquiry as a crucial step in ensuring a fair and competitive digital media environment that supports the sustainability of local journalism and promotes media diversity.
“The South African media landscape is evolving rapidly, with digital platforms playing an increasingly dominant role in content distribution and advertising revenue,” a statement from the GCIS on Wednesday read.
Adjunct Faculty Member and Head of the GIBS Media Leadership Think Tank, Michael Markovitz, stated that the report aims to address the root causes of anti-competitive behaviour among big tech companies, and seeks to fundamentally reshape the digital market to foster fairer competitive dynamics.
The inquiry assessed the impact of global digital giants on local media businesses, ensuring that South African publishers, broadcasters and digital content creators can compete on a level playing field.
Government - through the GCIS, in partnership with members of the Print and Digital Media Transformation Steering Committee - said it remains committed to supporting an independent, pluralistic and sustainable media sector, recognising its fundamental role in strengthening democracy and ensuring access to diverse sources of information.
Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Kenny Morolong, said the GCIS will work with all stakeholders, including media houses, digital platforms, advertisers, and the public on the implementation of the final outcomes of the MDPMI.
“We will also contribute to the solutions proposed for addressing the challenges facing the media sector while unlocking opportunities for innovation and growth,” Morolong said.
The GCIS said the inquiry’s provisional outcome supports efforts for media transformation and sustainability, promoting economic participation and safeguarding public interest journalism, which is vital for a fair and diverse media landscape in South Africa.
White paper
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Communication and Digital Technologies, Khusela Diko, has welcomed the recommendations of the provisional report.
Diko believes that the recommendations strengthen the committee’s call for an urgent publication of a White Paper on Audio and Audiovisual Media Services and Online Content Safety by the Department of Communication and Digital Technologies (DCDT).
“For a very long time, over-the-top (OTT) digital platforms exploited the regulatory gap in the sector to the detriment of the public broadcaster, the South African Broadcasting Corporation, which operates under stringent regulations. We further welcome the recommendation that media houses be remunerated for the content they produce that gets to be exploited by OTT and digital platforms,” Diko explained.
She further said that the recommendations on Google and YouTube, amongst others, will hopefully serve as a deterrent to everyone that the lack of direct regulation in the sector is not "licencee for unscrupulous business practices". – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Wed, 02/26/2025 - 15:45
81 views
Young Users Can’t Live Without Gadgets, but Have Little Safety Guidance
According to a recent Kaspersky (www.Kaspersky.co.za) survey*, 91% of parents surveyed in South Africa and 89% of parents surveyed in the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa (META) region use gadgets to entertain and occupy their children while traveling or to gain some free time for themselves. Moreover, half (50%) of children in South Africa and over half (52%) of children in the META region receive their first personal device – a smartphone or tablet – quite early, at the age of 3-7 years. However, 26% and 22% of respondents respectively have not discussed Internet safety rules with their children. This means that some of the children, who are often left one-on-one with their devices, are not always aware of how to behave safely online.
The children themselves admit that gadgets play a significant role in their lives. According to their own admission, 72% in South Africa and 78% in the META region cannot live without their gadgets. Smartphones, tablets and game consoles are at the top of the list of the most desirable devices for children. This emphasises the critical need for children to understand that they can be exposed to threats online, what this means and how to safely navigate this through appropriate device rules and guidelines.
“Most parents give their children gadgets in order to entertain them, spare some time for themselves or calm down their kids. However, children shouldn't use digital devices uncontrolled. Rather parents should monitor their child's digital life better. This can be done by limiting screen time and holding conversations, however, a security solution is also needed”, comments Seifallah Jedidi, Head of Consumer Channel in the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa at Kaspersky.
“Applying parental control is not showing distrust to your child; it's a sensible precaution with which you can, among other things, protect the device and the data on it. It allows parents to control which sites their children visit and which games they play, as well as disallowing file downloads, blocking access to content on unwanted topics and preventing the disclosure of confidential information. This way, Kaspersky's technologies help protect finances and confidential data from cybercriminals, and protect children from the risks that may lurk in the online environment”, he adds.
Kaspersky suggests protecting children with the following proactive measures:
- Parents can create a safer online environment for their children by staying informed about the latest threats and actively monitoring their children's online activities.
- It's crucial for parents to have open communication with their children about the potential risks they may encounter online and to enforce strict guidelines to ensure their safety.
- To secure your child from downloading any malicious files during their online experiences, we advise installing a trusted security solution on their device.
- With the right tools such as Kaspersky's digital parenting app Safe Kids (https://apo-opa.co/3D0IQij), parents can effectively safeguard their children against cyber threats in the digital space.
*The survey was conducted by Toluna research agency at the request of Kaspersky in 2023. The study sample included 10000 online interviews (5000 parent-child pairs, with children aged 3 to 17 years) in 5 countries: Türkiye, South Africa, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kaspersky.
For further information please contact:
Nicole Allman
INK&Co. (https://apo-opa.co/3EIX1Jr)
nicole@inkandco.co.za
Follow us:
Facebook: https://apo-opa.co/3EEx6T2
X: https://apo-opa.co/4gH6e28
YouTube: https://apo-opa.co/4i6LPVw
Instagram: https://apo-opa.co/4k6i1tS
Blog: https://apo-opa.co/4b7uf1a
About Kaspersky:
Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. With over a billion devices protected to date from emerging cyberthreats and targeted attacks, Kaspersky's deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company's comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection, specialized security products and services, as well as Cyber Immune solutions to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. We help over 200,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.Kaspersky.co.za.
Driving Digital Transformation in Emerging Economies Through Media, Fintech & Edtech
Aleph Group, a leading global enabler of digital advertising, fintech services and education technology, proudly marks its 20th anniversary with the launch of a bold company manifesto and video campaign, celebrating two decades of innovation, growth, and its mission to make the digital world more accessible for everyone. From its humble beginnings in Miami in …