South African parents are urged to enter phone contracts with their children to mitigate child pornography

Parents in South Africa are being encouraged to enter into cell phone contracts with their children following a recent study indicating that more than half of children between the ages of nine and 17 have encountered sexual images on phones. The 2022 Disrupting Harm survey conducted by the South African Law Reform Commission found that children are exposed to such content not only on their own devices but also on their parents’ phones. Child protection activist Joan van Niekerk, speaking to eNCA, underscored the vulnerability of children in this regard, pointing out that the initial exposure to pornography typically happens at around the age of ten.