The role and liability of internet service providers in South Africa : a critical and comparative appraisal

Abstract

This research uses a comparative approach to explore the role and liability of internet service providers in South Africa. The research aims to analyse and compare the role and liability of internet service providers for crimes and civil infractions committed by content providers and/or internet users. Against this aim, the researcher argues that internet service providers, as intermediaries, are ideally placed to monitor and control illicit content provision and/or internet use by the end user. The research focuses on South Africa, China, Ireland, and Nigeria. The research interrogated legislative control and queried the fitness for purpose of these mechanisms for internet service providers and the lacunae created by a rapidly expanding digital world comparatively. The research points out recurrent controversial and problematic concerns that affect both the internet service provider and the consumer. The researcher further explores challenges in applying legal imperatives to internet service providers that affect their end users. The comparative analysis assists in indicating how internet service providers operate in practice and their control (or lack thereof) by various legal frameworks. The researcher makes recommendations and offers solutions to assist with the future role and development of internet service providers and their impact on the end-user and criminal justice system.

Patlisiso ena e sebelisa mokhoa o hlokolosi le oa papiso ho hlahloba karolo le boikarabello ba bafani ba litšebeletso tsa inthanete Afrika Boroa. Boithuto bona bo ikemiselitse ho sekaseka le ho bapisa karolo le boikarabello ba bafani ba litšebeletso tsa inthanete bakeng sa litlolo tsa molao (kapa litlolo tse ling tsa sechaba) tse entsoeng ke bafani ba litaba le/kapa basebelisi ba inthanete. Khahlanong le sepheo sena, mofuputsi o pheha khang ea hore bafani ba litšebeletso tsa marang-rang, e le bakena-lipakeng, ba behiloe ka nepo ho beha leihlo le ho laola phano ea litaba tse seng molaong le/kapa tšebeliso ea inthanete ke mosebelisi oa ho qetela. Patlisiso e shebane le Afrika Boroa, China, Ireland le Nigeria. Patlisiso e botsitse taolo ea molao mme e botsitse ho tšoaneleha molemong oa mekhoa ena bakeng sa bafani ba lits'ebeletso tsa marang-rang le lacunae e entsoeng ke lefatše la dijithale le ntseng le hola ka potlako. Patlisiso e supa likhang tse etsahalang khafetsa le mathata a amang mofani oa litšebeletso tsa inthanete le moreki. Mofuputsi o tsoela pele ho hlahloba liphephetso mabapi le ho sebelisa litlhokahalo tsa molao ho bafani ba litšebeletso tsa inthanete tse amang basebelisi ba bona ba ho qetela. Tlhahlobo ea papiso ea libaka tse fapaneng e thusa ho bonts'a hore na bafani ba litšebeletso tsa marang-rang ba sebetsa joang le taolo ea bona (kapa khaello ea eona) ka mekhoa e fapaneng ea molao. Mofuputsi o etsa likhothaletso le ho fana ka litharollo ho thusa ka karolo le nts'etsopele ea nako e tlang ea bafani ba litšebeletso tsa inthanete le phello ea bona tsamaisong ea toka ea mosebelisi le ea botlokotsebe.

Lolu cwaningo lusebenzisa indlela ebucayi neqhathaniswayo ukuhlola indima nesibopho sabahlinzeki bezinsizakalo ze-inthanethi eNingizimu Afrika. Ucwaningo luhlose ukuhlaziya ngokujulile futhi kuqhathanise indima nesibopho sezomthetho sabahlinzeki besevisi ye-inthanethi ngobugebengu (noma ezinye iziphambeko zomphakathi) ezenziwa abahlinzeki bokuqukethwe kanye/noma abasebenzisi be-inthanethi. Ngokumelene nale nhloso, umcwaningi uphikisa ngokuthi abahlinzeki besevisi ye-inthanethi, njengabalamuli, babekwe ngokufanelekile ukuqapha nokulawula ukunikezwa kokuqukethwe okungekho emthethweni kanye/noma ukusetshenziswa kwe-inthanethi ngumsebenzisi wokugcina. Ucwaningo lugxile eNingizimu Afrika, eChina, e-Ireland naseNigeria. Ucwaningo lwaphenya ukulawulwa komthetho futhi lwabuza ukufaneleka kwenhloso yalezi zindlela zabahlinzeki besevisi ye-inthanethi kanye ne-lacunae edalwe umhlaba wedijithali okhula ngokushesha. Ucwaningo luveza ukukhathazeka okuphindelelayo okuyimpikiswano kanye nezinkinga ezithinta kokubili umhlinzeki wesevisi ye-inthanethi kanye nomthengi. Umcwaningi uphinde ahlole izinselele ekusebenziseni izimfuneko ezingokomthetho kubahlinzeki besevisi ye-inthanethi abathinta abasebenzisi babo bokugcina. Ukuhlaziywa okuqhathanisayo kwezindawo ezahlukene kusiza ekuboniseni ukuthi abahlinzeki besevisi ye-inthanethi basebenza kanjani kanye nokulawula kwabo (noma ukuntuleka kwakho) ngezinhlaka zezomthetho ezihlukahlukene. Umcwaningi wenza izincomo futhi unikeza izixazululo zokusiza ngendima yesikhathi esizayo nokuthuthukiswa kwabahlinzeki besevisi ye-inthanethi kanye nomthelela wabo ohlelweni lwezobulungiswa bobugebengu obungabasebenzisi bokugcina.