Would regulating podcasts endanger freedom of speech?

eNCA

04-05-2025

eNCA's audience has raised concerns about Parliament's call to regulate podcasts.
Parliament is considering ways to close the regulatory gap for online audio content as podcasts' influence continues to grow.
The chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, Khusela Diko, says: "The reason government/Parliament would want to raise issues of regulation is largely because these platforms are now being used for harmful expression."
Responding on eNCA's social media platforms, this is what some of viewers and readers had to say:
On X:
"This might be a serious misunderstanding of the service offering from podcasts. Stifling them with potential bureaucratic processes development by the state will destroy the art of podcasting. We have laws set around defamation and/or crimen injuria which can be tested - that's relating to the MacG Minnie incident," says @kaMalambule.
"They need to be regulated. Just the other day on YouTube, I was watching a murder-accused and the accuser in one room asking each other questions like its court. Of course it ended in a fight. Such things should be limited!!," says @Abyred6.
"Podcasts are out here doing whatever they want. At this rate, they might need a rule book just for all the wild opinions. But for real, should online audio follow broadcasting rules, or is the freedom what makes it fun?," says @InsertCoinZA.
"Taxi industry is a multi-billion industry but government can't touch them. But they want to touch harmless podcasters. Yoh hai," says @molaba_labas.
On Facebook:
"Regulating podcasts like traditional broadcasters is a dangerous overreach. Podcasts thrive because they give ordinary people a voice, especially those excluded by mainstream media. Applying outdated broadcasting laws to this space shows a clear disconnect from how digital platforms work. Instead of trying to control the narrative, Parliament should focus on real issues like digital literacy and online safety. Silencing independent creators under the guise of 'regulation' is censorship, not protection. We must protect free expression, not police it," says Akani Hlungwane Jr.
"They must first give us a five year plan of how they intend dealing with illegal and legal migration, there are worse criminals who legally migrate to our shores as well, we have to intensify these marches, and increase our list of demands, to include foreign churches, so-called prophets and bishops, access to informal economy, that should be exclusively for the citizens, sis Jacinta can't do this on her own sans I know we can rise up to the occasion," says Mae Boiketlo Mphoso.
"Why is the government worried about podcasts, what are they afraid of? Is it because they getting exposed? It's freedom of speech," says Shaheen Young.
"Let people have free speech, not so long ago another one was calling white people dogs and saying they are less of a human and you kept quiet... and others were publicly asking another country's regime to make South Africa great again and you kept quiet because you are a government with no laws. They wouldn't do nothing like that in North Korea or Iran, there's law there, no means no!," says Vuyani Mgijima.