Zimbabwe's government is contemplating the introduction of a new cybercrime law which, if ratified, will heavily regulate Over the Top services such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter.

The Computer and Cyber Crime Bill is widely regarded as an official response to a spate of recent anti-government demonstrations and protest action largely coordinated through social media.

Information Minister Christopher Mushohwe has lambasted Zimbabweans living abroad, as well as those he believes are guilty of "spreading messages of hate against the state using social media platforms."

"Often their activities have been coordinated with disgruntled elements in the diaspora who think their diaspora status gives them both immunity and impunity. The link between these elements and intelligence services of hostile nations is now well known, much as some of them vainly seek the cloak of religion, or other professional identities," Mushohwe said.

"Let all well-meaning Zimbabweans be warned and keep away from associating with programmes and activities that fall outside of the law and legal political activities. Government is aware of activists in the country collaborating with the diaspora cyber terrorists," the Minister added.

The Bill, to be debated in parliament, will compel ISPs to help identify the sources of messages that could be construed as cybercrime.

It will also deal with issues such as cyber bullying, revenge pornography, and abuse of social media.

According to the Bill, a magistrate may "order an Internet service provider whose service is available in Zimbabwe through application of technical means to collect or record or to permit or assist competent authorities with the collection or recording of content data associated with specified communications transmitted by means of a computer system".

It also says "a person, who intentionally ... initiates any electronic communication, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person, using a computer system ... commits an offence punishable, on conviction, by imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years, or a fine not exceeding level ten, or both"