Digital Freedom or Digital Anarchy? Why Zambia Needs to Clean Up Social Media

Digital Freedom or Digital Anarchy? Why Zambia Needs to Clean Up Social Media

Once upon a time, misinformation in Zambia moved slowly – passed between curious marketeers, office chatter, and neighbourhood gossip. Today, a single misleading Facebook post or a half-baked WhatsApp voice note can spark national outrage within minutes. We now live in a time where truth is often the casualty of viral excitement, and social media – for all its blessings – is becoming both a mirror and a magnifier of our deepest societal flaws.

Take the recent incident involving former Defence Minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM). In an astonishing showcase of digital recklessness, online users circulated false news of his death. Not only was this disrespectful to the family and friends, but it also exposed how social media platforms can be hijacked to play god with people’s lives.

But this is not a standalone case. We’ve seen social media used to spread tribal slurs, manufacture lies about politicians, destroy marriages with leaked private content, and even scam the most vulnerable out of their hard-earned savings. Some platforms have become breeding grounds for vulgarity and sexualised content, where young users are exposed to indecent material without filters. Meanwhile, self-proclaimed social commentators freely dish out insults, attack others’ dignity, and create fake “breaking news” for attention.

Let me be clear: social media is not the problem. In fact, it’s one of the greatest tools of our time. It has empowered citizens to hold power to account. It has given young Zambians a platform to promote businesses, tell their stories, expose corruption, and even educate others through skits and commentary. During COVID-19, social media was a lifeline for accurate information and community mobilisation. Even now, cooperatives and small businesses are using Facebook to connect with markets that were previously unreachable.

The problem is the abuse – the unchecked anarchy disguised as “freedom of speech.”

This is where the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act becomes critical. Yes, some fear that the law might be used to silence dissent or curtail civil liberties. That is a valid concern. But the law, if fairly and transparently enforced, is our best shot at cleaning up the digital mess before it rots the core of our national values.

Zambia cannot continue allowing social media to be a safe haven for scammers, fake prophets, digital nudists, and tribal warlords hiding behind anonymous profiles. The law provides tools to fight back against:

• Cyberbullying and harassment (especially affecting women and public figures)

• Scams involving fake investment schemes, crypto fraud, and online theft

• Leaking of private photos or sex tapes – a trend that is destroying lives

• Insults and demeaning language, now passed off as “content creation”

• Tribal hate speech, which threatens national unity

• Pornographic and indecent exposure, easily accessible by minors

But laws alone are not enough.

We need massive investment in digital literacy. From Grade 5 pupils to university students, from church groups to komboni residents  everyone needs to understand how to verify news, report abuse, protect themselves from scams, and respect others online. Civil society, ZICTA, the Ministry of Information, and social media influencers must partner to lead this moral and technological revolution.

Only when we combine policy, education, and community responsibility can we restore sanity online. The digital space must evolve into a zone of innovation, truth, and unity—not a playground for hate, deception, and immorality.

Zambia deserves a digital culture that builds, not breaks. The future of our nation’s conversation online and offlinede pends on it.

-Douglas Leroy Namafente is a columnist, social analyst, and radio host. He writes on digital culture, governance, and political communication in Zambia-.