Online video platforms are part of everyday life in South Africa, from TikTok clips to YouTube tutorials. A proposed government policy could change how children access some content.
The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies wants platforms to introduce age-verification systems for material that could harm minors.
The proposal is still a draft, not a law, but a proposal published in a Government Gazette in July sets out the proposal.
WHAT ARE ONLINE VIDEO PLATFORMS EXPECTED TO DO?
The proposal appears in the Draft White Paper on Audio and Audiovisual Media Services and Online Safety, published on 11 July 2025.
It covers Video-Sharing Platform Services and Very Large Online Platform Services.
The Gazette says the “most likely obligations” would include age verification for users accessing content that could impair the “physical, mental, or moral development of minors”. It also proposes systems for users to flag harmful material, rate content and access parental controls.
Platforms could also have to explain how they respond to reports and provide media-literacy tools. The draft proposes an ombudsman for online safety and media regulation.
WHY DOES GOVERNMENT WANT AGE VERIFICATION?
The department says South Africa’s existing rules were designed for an analogue broadcasting era. Streaming, user-generated videos and non-linear viewing have changed that landscape. The draft seeks stronger platform accountability while protecting children and balancing regulation with freedom of expression.
The Government Gazette says the policy draws on approaches in the UK, Europe and Australia. It also places child protection among its key principles. That matters in South African homes, where a child’s viewing can shift from cartoons to unrestricted recommendations within seconds.
The proposal does not prescribe one specific technology.
It says age-verification systems should be established and operated for relevant content. That leaves practical questions about privacy, accuracy, cost and access for the regulatory process.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT FOR ONLINE VIDEO PLATFORMS?
The July 2025 Gazette invited public comments for 30 calendar days. The department later extended the deadline to 26 September 2025 after stakeholder requests. Submissions included responses from the CSIR, Sanef, Netflix, Meta and Google.
The draft envisages implementation in three stages over 24 months from publication of the policy. It also says it may need legislation, including possible amendments to the Electronic Communications Act.
For South African viewers, the immediate effect is therefore nothing. It will not require YouTube and TikTok users to suddenly prove their age. The final framework and legislation will determine what becomes enforceable.
For parents, the debate is familiar.
Children need room to explore the internet, yet some content is not made for them. South Africa’s challenge will be finding a workable line between protecting young users and creating a digital gatekeeper that collects too much personal information.