This means that the Act is now enforceable.
By definition, the above acts can be carried out by way of social media communication such as WhatsApp or any other social media platform. This is because WhatsApp or other social media communications fall within the definition of “data” and “data message” as set out in the Act.
South African citizens are now afforded the legislative means to protect themselves against a new form of criminal activity which previously escaped prosecution. Also, South Africa now joins the rest of the world in having enacted similar legislation to deal with online based offences.
Without a doubt, the fourth industrial revolution cannot be pursued without a robust Cybercrimes Act in place.
Consequently, we now have an operational Cybercrimes Act to help us deal with increasingly sophisticated and novel forms of crimes committed via online means. What remains to be seen is how our law enforcement and court system will deal with and give effect to this powerful piece of legislation.