By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe Director General Dr Gift Machengete has warned they will invoke the Data Protection Act in efforts to protect children from cyberbullying and other online abuses.
Responding to a question during the Research and Dissemination Workshop in Harare, Dr Machengete said the authority was using the Data Protection Act to criminalize websites that offer toxic content.
This includes cyberbullying, incitement of violence, and pornography.
“Some of us have actually experienced it in a very bad way. And it cannot be allowed to continue.
“As you rightly say, that children will be watching and saying, this person is getting views and making money. So, this is the way to go. So, we are not just watching.
“We have noted violent sites, pornographic sites, suicide sites, some sites inciting violence, and all that. We will make sure, and I don’t hesitate to say this, we will make sure that those sites will be out of reach,” Dr Machengete said.
“Unfortunately, some of them will also be out of reach for even adults and doing all sorts of things, but we are supposed to use the Internet productively.”
Dr Machengete said under the Data Protection Act all of the websites that offered toxic content were are criminalized as per Zimbabwean laws.
“We have data protection. It does not allow toxic content. It does not allow bullying. It does not allow inciting violence, causing instability. It does not allow.
“So we are going to make sure that such sites are not accessible so that we concentrate on those sites which give us development which we desperately need,” he said.
Dr. Machengete also warned people who use false names on social media that POTRAZ has the ability to identify them and prosecute them.
“I just want to warn that there is now a lot of technology out there and you will be prosecuted because the law to prosecute you is actually there.
“So that’s answering to what then, as POTRAZ, are we doing to try and protect our children? We will protect our children, we will also protect ourselves as well, and prosecute the people for harassing and embarrassing others in cyber space.”
The workshop served as a crucial platform to engage stakeholders on the findings of two significant research projects — the Assessment of Digital Literacy Among Secondary School Teachers in Zimbabwe, conducted under the partnership between POTRAZ and the Research Council of Zimbabwe.
Secondly, the inaugural Child Online Safety Survey, carried out by POTRAZ in collaboration with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
The studies hold paramount importance as the results have far-reaching implications for policy formulation and implementation in both the ICT and Education sectors.
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