Meta Under Fire in South Africa: Calls Grow to Jail Local Facebook and WhatsApp Executive

A legal storm brews around Meta in SA

One of the world’s most powerful tech giants is under serious legal pressure in South Africa. Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp and Instagram, is facing contempt of court charges after allegedly failing to comply with a court order related to the spread of explicit content involving South African school children.

This time, it is not about platform policies or vague guidelines; it is about real accountability and the safety of minors.

How it started: disturbing content on Instagram and WhatsApp

In early July 2025, digital law expert Emma Sadleir, founder of The Digital Law Company, secured a court order demanding that Meta take down more than 30 Instagram accounts and six WhatsApp channels that were reportedly circulating explicit material involving children.

The court ordered Meta to:

• Disable the accounts by 19:55 on 14 July

• Provide identifying details, including names, phone numbers, email addresses, and IP logs, by 12:00 on 15 July

Meta missed the deadline and now faces contempt charges

Despite acknowledging receipt of the order and shutting down several accounts, Meta reportedly failed to meet the full requirements. According to Sadleir, new accounts were being created “every few minutes,” continuing to spread illegal content.

Now, Sadleir is requesting that the court give Meta until 14:00 on 19 July to comply fully, or face consequences. If Meta fails again, she wants Meta’s Southern Africa public policy head, Thabo Makenete, jailed for 30 days or until the company complies.

Meta deflects, Sadleir doubles down

Meta’s legal representatives in South Africa replied, claiming the action had been misdirected. They said Meta’s operational control resides in the United States, not with the local office. But Sadleir’s team insists they never sought relief from Facebook South Africa as a separate entity; their legal documents clearly named Meta and its appointed officials.

The delay, according to Sadleir, appears to be a stalling tactic rather than a technical or legal barrier.

Why this matters: the clock is ticking

Sadleir stressed that every hour counts. More children could be harmed, more private content could be distributed, and the perpetrators, who remain anonymous, could slip further out of reach.

“We are left to assume Meta has the capability to comply,” she said, “because they have failed to deny that they can.”

A global issue, a local reckoning

While governments across the world are pushing tech giants to take more responsibility for content on their platforms, this case could set a precedent in South Africa.

Unlike past criticisms, this is a court-backed demand, and it includes the threat of personal criminal consequences for a local Meta executive.

Social media reacts: “Act like safety matters”

South Africans online are furious. Parents, educators, and activists are calling out Meta’s sluggish response.

On X (formerly Twitter), one user wrote:
“Meta can flag a boosted post in seconds but takes days to act on child exploitation?”

Another echoed the mood:
“It should not take a court order to do the right thing.”

Some users support Sadleir’s bold action, saying that South Africa must show tech giants that the safety of local children is not negotiable.

All eyes are now on 19 July 2025. If Meta continues to drag its feet, it could face a legal showdown unlike any other in South African tech law, with real jail time on the table.

The outcome may not only shape Meta’s future conduct in the country but also influence how digital rights, accountability, and platform regulation evolve in our courts.

Also read: Toll Plaza Trap: Police Nab Four as R1.8m Dagga Haul Ends in Bribery Attempt

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Source: Business Tech

Featured Image: Connecting Africa