Laws Archives - Committee to Protect Journalists

A man wearing a surgical mask and gloves to protect himself from the coronavirus, walks on a street in Soweto, South Africa, Thursday, March 19, 2020. For most people the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For others it can cause more severe illness, especially in older adults and people with existing health problems. (AP/Themba Hadebe)

South Africa enacts regulations criminalizing ‘disinformation’ on coronavirus outbreak

March 19, 2020 6:47 PM EDT

New York, March 19, 2020 – The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concern over newly passed regulations in South Africa that criminalize disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic and could potentially prompt other countries to adopt more repressive rules and censorship against the press.