By Staff Reporter
Harare -Information Communication Technology (ICT) ministerTatenda Mavetera, has denied reports that the government plans to impose license requirements on WhatsApp group administrators, dismissing the claims as “malicious fake news.”
The alleged plan, which included hefty fines of up to $US2,500 for non-compliance, sparked outrage among the public, with many accusing the state of attempting to criminalize and commodify free speech.
Mavetera in a statement she posted on her X handle on Saturday, sad reports to impose hefty penalties on WhatsApp groups we’re false and that such penalties would only apply to platforms or administrators who collect Personally Identifiable Information (PII) for business or commercial use.
PII includes any data that could be used to identify individuals, such as names, phone numbers, or identification numbers.
Mavetera urged the public to disregard the claims, emphasizing that they were inconsistent with Zimbabwe’s legal framework, particularly the Cyber and Data Protection (Licensing of Data Controllers and Appointment of Data Protection Officers) Regulations under Statutory Instrument (SI) 155 of 2024.
“I would like to distance myself from the malicious fake news about the government’s intentions to license or penalize WhatsApp groups or administrators of any social media platform with fines of up to USD2,500,” Mavetera said.
“This claim is not applicable, especially to players who do not collect or process Personally Identifiable Information (PII) for commercial or business use,” said Mavetera.
“Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is any data that can be used to identify someone, from their name and address to their phone number, passport information, and ID number.
“I have never expressed any intentions to license or penalize WhatsApp groups or administrators of any social media platform that do not collect and process PII for commercial or business use,” added Mavetera.
Some analysts argued that policing WhatsApp is neither viable nor feasible.
The reports had suggested that the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) would introduce licensing requirements for administrators of WhatsApp groups, with fees ranging from $US50 to $US2,500.
