Burkina Faso curbs poverty pornography

At the beginning of last month, the government of Burkina Faso, a West African country of about 24,6 million inhabitants, became a pioneer by enacting a decree law that prohibits the dissemination of images (photos or videos) of vulnerable people receiving donations, food or money, if they are done with the aim of generating content on various digital platforms in order to "monetize charity," which is also known as "poverty porn."

The decree, which is part of a broader reform promoted by the Ministry of Humanitarian Action and approved by the Council of Ministers, establishes the obligation to be officially accredited to carry out humanitarian activities in Burkinabe territory, requiring them to allocate a significant portion of their resources to long-term community recovery projects.

It also prioritizes the purchase of local products, such as food from the corresponding areas, in order to strengthen the national economy, thus avoiding donations whose purpose is essentially commercial, through the dissemination of content in search of "likes" that produce a profit.

The legal standard states that Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that conduct fundraising campaigns and promote these practices may be immediately stripped of their accreditations, be temporarily suspended, and even dissolved if they fail to comply with the provisions.

Furthermore, according to the new legal instrument, the activities of organizations or content creators that violate the privacy, dignity and fundamental rights of beneficiaries under the pretext of alleged humanitarian aid could be prohibited.

On an individual level, content creators (influencers) who violate these rules to profit from "poverty pornography" are exposed to legal proceedings for violating privacy and laws protecting human dignity and minors, for which they could receive severe fines, expulsion from the country and restrictions on their possible entry into Burkina Faso, all as part of policies that prioritize national sovereignty and the rethinking of cooperation.

This practice, also known as "misery tourism", was also experienced in Venezuela in the wake of the tragedy of the double earthquake on June 24th, when dozens of influencers traveled to La Guaira to take photos or videos, obtain numerous "likes" and monetize their content at the expense of the pain of the victims of that terrible tragedy.

Background.

The novel legislation in Burkina Faso, the first to prohibit images of the aforementioned type and establish punitive measures for offenders, has its references, linked to the "white savior" model, which, although not new, has taken on greater dimensions with the era of digital platforms.

One of these content creators, who has garnered millions of views but also countless criticisms for his videos funding water wells, housing, and surgical procedures, is Jimmy Donaldson, "Mr. Beast," who is criticized for perpetuating the "white savior" stereotype. Regarding legislation, while not as specific to the issue as Burkina Faso's, there are some precedents, such as Nepal, which in 2014 banned so-called "orphanage tourism" with the Childcare Center Operation and Management Guidelines, which came into effect that same year, preventing tourists without professional training in childcare from accessing the children.

The severe criticism of the so-called poverty porn

The decision announced by the Government of Burkina Faso to prohibit influencers from using the image of children or people in vulnerable situations has brought back into focus the criticism of “poverty porn”, a term coined in the 80s.

“The trap of this content is that it presents a false generosity where the absolute focus is not the person receiving the help, but the moral validation of the creator. The vulnerable subject is instrumentalized as a mere narrative accessory to build the influencer's personal brand,” explains Critical Discourse Analysis on TikTok and Instagram.

Dr. Jonathan Corpus, a specialist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who has studied how digital platforms prioritize emotional intensity over ethics, has stated that “when vulnerable populations participate in digital charity initiatives or media spectacles, their consent is severely compromised by immediate survival needs. The profound power imbalance between a creator seeking engagement metrics and a person in a situation of extreme hardship makes genuine, informed consent virtually impossible.”

Ibrahim Traore: the ruler who defends sovereignty

Captain Ibrahim Traore, 36, came to power on September 30, 2022, as president of the Transitional Board that deposed Burkina Faso's then-interim president, Paul-Henry Sandaogo, amid a deep security crisis in the country.

Since then, he has become one of Africa's most charismatic leaders, with progressive and deeply nationalist positions. Regarding this issue, he questions the use of charity and the media's exploitation of poverty as a spectacle, stating in various speeches things like, "We spend our time begging; many people approach us to give us food. Lately, representatives from many countries have come to see me for their NGOs, and I say, 'Wait a minute, what's going on? Your NGOs come and go from here. We have our dignity to defend; there are things we no longer accept. We don't depend on your help.'"

It is precisely these premises that have given rise to the regulatory legal framework approved last month, and he has stated that “we do not want to see our people in misery (…) Social cohesion, mutual aid and solidarity must be created, but under respect. When we want to negotiate with everyone, we demand that we be respected.”