Don’t be a stalker this Valentine’s Day!
Sometimes the line between love and hate is dangerously
thin. And social media has made it very easy for people to find their “lost
loves” or peep into the lives of those people that they wish they could call
their own
This Valentine’s Day don’t be that person that gets slapped with a Protection from Harassment Act order!
Obviously social media has made snooping very simple and it has become a lot easier to make a nuisance of oneself. Also there is no denying that looking through the feeds of “friends” on Facebook on Valentine’s Day with declarations of love and pictures of togetherness can make any single person feel somewhat despondent. This however is no excuse to start stalking old flames or potential suitors.
The Protection of Harassment Act is a very useful piece of legislation which has made it a lot easier in the digital age to put an end to that type of behaviour. It is also the first Act of its kind in South Africa where the court can compel a service provider to give out the details of a user if the complainant does know the person’s identity. Unlike a domestic violence order, you do not have to be in any sort of relationship with the person and they could be a complete stranger.
If an order is finalised there will be conditions to ensure the safety of the complainant. If the harasser does not follow these conditions they will be guilty of an offence.
Don’t be a stalker this Valentine’s Day!
Verlie Oosthuizen
Shepstone & Wylie Social Media Law Department