FOR SA prevented church censorship

Facts

‍In 2019, the President signed the Film and Publications Act into law, but new regulations were required before it could be enforced. These draft regulations posed a serious threat to churches and religious organisations because they could have subjected religious content shared online to censorship or licensing fees. Churches producing video or audio content for online distribution would potentially have faced mandatory vetting of their material.

FOR SA stepped in, making formal submissions to address these risks. Thanks to our efforts, the Film and Publications Board provided written confirmation that churches sharing sermons on their websites, without charging a fee, are exempt from registration and content approval requirements.

Without FOR SA's Involvement

‍Churches and religious organisations might have been required to pay fees and navigate bureaucratic delays simply to share their messages online. Our actions saved them from these unnecessary costs and barriers, safeguarding their freedom to share religious content without state interference.