WhatsApp faces possible regulation in South Africa

Over-the-top internet services, such as WhatsApp, could be regulated in South Africa depending on the outcome of planned Parliament hearings this month.

OTT internet services allow users to send messages and make calls over data networks, often for a lower cost than sending an SMS or making a telephone call.

A recent report by World Wide Worx and Fuseware shows that WhatsApp has over 10 million users in South Africa.

Hearings into the possible regulation of OTT services in South Africa have been scheduled for 26 January.

According to Fin24, the hearings are set to discuss “necessary policy interventions on how to govern OTTs, regulatory interventions on the guidelines to regulate OTTs” and the “impact of OTTs on competition”.