Possession of sexually explicit images on mobile and other electronic devices in Uganda can get you in jail for up to 10 years under the country’s new anti-pornography law, which parliament passed in 2014 with an aim to “stamp pornography out of the Ugandan society.”
According to Simon Lokodo, Uganda’s minister of ethics, while speaking with state-owned media, he said that the country has bought an $88,000 pornography-detection machine from a company in South Korea. The machine will arrive in Uganda next month, he said.
It will reportedly detect porn pictures, videos or graphics taken or saved on one’s phone, computer or camera in any form –
He further added that the Government has already contracted a South Korean company that will supply it to Uganda.
“We have appointed the anti-pornography committee, but it had not been launched due to lack of finance, but the Government has now approved the money to activate the operations,” Lokodo said.
It will detect porn pictures, videos or graphics taken or saved on one’s phone, computer or camera in any form and those found guilty will be charged.
Under Uganda’s anti-pornography law, Subsection (2) states that a person who produces or participates in production of, traffics in, publishes , broadcasts, procures, import, exports or in any way abets pornography contrary to subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable ,on conviction, to a fine not exceeding five hundred currency points or imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or both.
The country believe that people have taken advantage of social media platforms to expose and publish nude pictures to the public.
Media houses that publish pornographic content will be closed upon investigations come September, according Lokodo.
Lokodo said the machine will be able to “detect, control, and scrutinize porn on mobile handsets and other electronic devices.” The ethics minister has previously asked telecoms operators in Uganda to track and block public access to pornographic material.
To implement the anti-pornography law, a government-funded committee has been set up.
