By PASSY HAACHIZO –
ZAMBIA Information and Communications Authority (ZICTA) has expressed concern over an increase in obscene material being uploaded and downloaded online.
ZICTA cyber security officer Chola Mutale named obscene materials as pornography applications, production and possession as some of the components of cyber-crimes.
Ms Chola was speaking in an interview with a Times crew in Kapiri Mposhi recently.
She said ZICTA would take advantage of the Electronic Communications and Transaction Act of 2009 that was undergoing a review to fight the rising access to pornography among internet users.
Ms Mutale also warned members of the public to safeguard confidential information on social media to avoid falling into the trap of fraudsters.
“The Electronic Communications and Transaction Act of 2009, once reviewed, and broken down will have a component which will look at cyber-crime,” she said.
Ms Mutale sympathised with, and warned youths who were fond of disclosing information and posting unpalatable information online to stop the act.
She said it was unfortunate that some people, especially the youth, used social media such as WhatsApp and Facebook for attacking friends and posting uncalled-for information.
Ms Mutale explained that cyber-crimes such as posting of defamatory information about someone on social media and sexually suggestive messages.
Although some members of the public have been charged over cyber-crime, Ms Mutale said she would not give the figures as some cases were still in the courts of law.
She warned young people that they risked not being in employment if they posted bad information on social media as potential employers searched on Internet to know about who would be their next employee.
“As social media users we need to be mindful of the things we post on social media rest they affect our future and then on the 2009 Act, law-enforcers are aware of it and are using it to prosecute law-breakers,” she said.