Dealing with inappropriate content
Making sure that children and vulnerable people are accessing appropriate content online is an important concern.
There have been reports of online "challenges" such as the Momo Challenge or Blue Whale Challenge, where content allegedly targets children or young people and persuades them to complete a series of tasks that may lead to self-harm. However, there is very little credible evidence that these challenges have existed in the way they are commonly reported.
This guide covers challenge-related content and situations where adult or otherwise inappropriate content is being shared online in ways that target or are accessible to children or vulnerable people.
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If you are in immediate or imminent danger
If you or someone else is in immediate or imminent danger, safety takes priority over routine reporting or evidence preservation.
If there is an immediate risk of self-harm or suicide:
Prioritise emergency assistance immediately.
Contact the appropriate emergency service.
In South Africa, emergency routes include:
10177 — ambulance/emergency medical services
10111 — police emergency
112 — emergency number from a cellphone
Do not rely on SADAG, Childline or another support service as a substitute for emergency intervention where there is an imminent threat to life.
Once immediate safety has been addressed, seek appropriate specialist support, such as Childline for children or SADAG for mental-health/crisis support where appropriate.
You do not need to provide your own clinical assessment of the level of risk before seeking emergency help.
General Inappropriate Content
If you have seen inappropriate content online that you believe should be removed, consider the following steps.
Report it on the platform - Most major platforms provide tools for reporting inappropriate content. Report the content using the platform's current reporting function.
Avoid sharing or reposting the content. Even when trying to warn others, sharing screenshots, videos or links can unintentionally spread harmful content further.
If the platform does not act, or the content may be harmful, prohibited, age-inappropriate for children, or involve children, consider reporting it to the Film and Publications Board (FPB) where appropriate.
If the platform does not take reasonable action - If harmful content remains available after reporting it to the platform:
Continue using the platform's appeals or escalation process where available.
Report relevant prohibited or child-protection content to the Film and Publications Board (FPB).
If the content may constitute a criminal offence, report it to SAPS.
Report Criminal Content
If the content includes threats, incitement to violence, or other suspected criminal conduct, report it to SAPS.
Where there is an immediate threat to someone's physical safety, emergency assistance should be prioritised rather than routine crime reporting.
Hate speech, unfair discrimination and certain forms of harassment may also be addressed through the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) or the Equality Court, depending on the circumstances.
Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)
If you encounter suspected child sexual abuse material:
Do not download, save, forward, repost or deliberately capture the material.
Do not investigate it yourself.
Do not attempt to obtain additional copies.
Preserve only relevant non-image information where safe and appropriate, such as a username, URL, account name or date/time.
Report the material through the Film and Publications Board (FPB) child-protection/CSAM reporting route.
If a child is known to be at immediate risk, or there is information indicating an immediate threat or offender, prioritise immediate safety and report to SAPS as appropriate.
The purpose of evidence preservation is not to require you to retain or create copies of CSAM.
Get support
Someone who has seen disturbing or offensive content may need emotional or specialist support.
Children and young people
Childline South Africa — 116
Childline provides support and referral services for children experiencing issues including self-harm, sexting, sexual abuse and other concerns affecting children.
Childline should be treated as a support/referral service, not as a substitute for emergency intervention where there is an immediate threat to life.
Immediate self-harm or suicide risk
If there is an immediate or imminent risk of self-harm or suicide:
Emergency assistance comes first.
Use the appropriate emergency route, including:
10177 — ambulance/emergency medical services
10111 — police emergency
112 — emergency number from a cellphone
Once immediate safety has been addressed, specialist support such as SADAG may be appropriate.
Online Challenges
A phenomenon discussed on social media is the idea of online "challenges" targeting children and vulnerable individuals. These stories often describe individuals being persuaded to complete increasingly dangerous tasks through messaging platforms or hidden online content.
There is very little reliable evidence that these challenges have existed in the form commonly reported or that they have caused the incidents often attributed to them.
Nevertheless, concerns should be taken seriously where an individual appears distressed or is engaging with harmful content.
Do your research Do not rely solely on social media posts or sensational headlines. Check whether the reported challenge has been verified by trusted organisations or reputable fact-checking services.
Talk to the individual - If the person is unaware of the reported challenge, avoid naming it unnecessarily, as this may encourage them to search for it. Instead, have broader conversations about online safety, recognising harmful content and speaking to a trusted adult where appropriate.
Report serious risk of harm - If someone is in immediate danger or at risk of serious harm:
Prioritise emergency assistance.
Contact appropriate emergency medical services or SAPS.
If the individual is a child, consider Childline South Africa (116) for support/referral once immediate safety has been addressed.
Consider referral to an appropriate social worker or child-protection professional.
If online content involves sexual exploitation or abuse of a child, report it to the FPB and SAPS as appropriate.
If someone has been directly contacted by another individual encouraging harmful behaviour, this may require reporting to SAPS, particularly where threats, exploitation or other suspected criminal conduct are involved.
Safeguard the Individual Online - Helping children and vulnerable people stay safe online involves education, technology and appropriate supervision.
This may include:
Talking openly about online safety.
Enabling appropriate privacy settings and parental controls.
Monitoring online activity in an age-appropriate and respectful way.
Reviewing recommendation settings and parental controls where appropriate.
Removing or reporting harmful recommendations/content through the platform's available controls.
Encouraging the person to speak to a trusted adult or appropriate support service.
Where changing settings, blocking an individual or removing access could increase the person's risk, safety should take priority rather than applying a blanket instruction to block or disengage.
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