Zambia’s government is to introduce tough measures to clampdown on social media usage.
The country is formulating new but tough laws that will regulate how people use social media.
Zambia’s Communication Minister Brian Mushimba says some Zambians are committing crimes with social media.
The minister told the parliament on Thursday that social users are engaging in identity theft, sending pornographic images and spreading hate speech.
Mushimbsa says “It is evident that social media in Zambia has become a catalyst for the detachment of members of the Zambian society from our cultural norms”.
“Prior to the proliferation of social media, people in Zambia behaved and communicated within acceptable and expected cultural boundaries,” the minister added.
New laws
The new laws are yet to be debated by the lawmakers. It will however be enforced from next year.
The minister says the new laws should reduce the number of Zambians who fall victim to identity theft.
Mushimba said “Incidents of impersonations, people being insulted, abused, falsely accused or defrauded on social media platforms have reached an alarming state”.
Regulating Social media in Africa
Uganda this month rolled out a tax regime which affects social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook.
Uganda’s Parliament last month passed the law that imposes a tax of $0.05 daily for each social media user.
In the face of criticisms, Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni said tax policy is needed.
He said users are enriching foreign-owned telecoms companies without the country’s economy benefiting.
The President said social media users are “endlessly donating money to foreign telephone companies through chatting or even lying”.
Museveni described social media as a “luxury by those who are enjoying themselves or those who are malicious…all the moral reasons are in favour of that tax”.
Source: Africafeeds.com
