The Zambian government plans to engage mobile phone operators and internet service providers on the development of safety features and tools appropriate for younger internet users.
As in many countries in the region, the number of children having access to the internet using mobile phones and computers is steadily growing but without a corresponding development of tools to protect them online.
Ministry of Communications and Transport permanent secretary Charles Sipanje said Zambia want to effectively protect children from online risks and vulnerabilities by developing practical tools to mitigate the identified risks.
MTN Zambia, Airtel and Zamtel are the three mobile operators in the country while number of internet service providers is well over 14.
Sipanje said the country will soon carry out legislative audit through the Ministry of Justice and other stakeholders on the existing laws on online risks.
“This will be done to strengthen legislation with a view of protecting children and youths from cybercrime,” Sipanje said.
He said the country is also seeking collaboration with international stakeholders in building capacity and learning on child online protection.
He said Zambia further wants to learn best practices on the design and implementation regarding child online activities such as pictures and videos and child digital reputation.
Sipanje said Zambia established the first Computer Incident Response Team in 2012 to provide the country with the capability to watch and warn of the undesirable events occurring in cyberspace and to build capacity to respond to accidents.
Last year, the Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA) and the United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) launched a partnership to help protect Zambia’s children online.
The partnership is aimed at the growing access to digital technology in Zambia benefits the country’s children.
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