**The US embassy in Zambia has alerted its citizens to a newly enacted cybersecurity law, raising concerns about the potential for widespread surveillance and implications for civil liberties.**
**US Issues Warning to Citizens About New Zambian Cybersecurity Legislation**
**US Issues Warning to Citizens About New Zambian Cybersecurity Legislation**
**Concern Grows Over Implications of the Law for Privacy and Freedom of Expression**
Zambia's recent enactment of a controversial cybersecurity law has prompted a warning from the US embassy, urging American citizens residing in or traveling to the southern African nation to remain vigilant. The embassy described the new legislation as "intrusive," stating that it mandates the interception and surveillance of electronic communications, including calls, emails, and other online content, to identify the transmission of what the law defines as "critical information." This broad classification raises fears that nearly any digital activity could fall under scrutiny.
The Zambian government justifies the law as a necessary measure to combat online fraud, child pornography, and disinformation. However, following the US alert, officials from Zambia's foreign ministry sought to calm public fears, asserting that the law does not permit mass surveillance and requires a court-issued warrant for any interception or data requests. They emphasized that the term "critical information" pertains specifically to national security and that all actions under the law would adhere to established legal procedures.
Critics have voiced significant concern regarding the potential misuse of the law, particularly in the context of upcoming elections, as there are apprehensions that it could be weaponized against government dissenters. Activists like Laura Miti have denounced the law as tyrannical and hypocritical, given that the US has its own history of surveillance practices. Miti pointedly referenced the revelations by Edward Snowden, drawing parallels between US practices and those now being implemented in Zambia.
The legislation enables law enforcement officers, with a warrant, to search premises for computers containing evidence of crimes defined under the law. It also permits the government to extradite individuals deemed to have violated its provisions, with severe penalties that include lengthy prison sentences. ICT companies are mandated to proactively monitor all electronic communications, altering the landscape of privacy for internet users in Zambia.
This abrupt legislative change, which was signed into law by President Hakainde Hichilema with little prior notice to the public, has reignited criticism from opposition politicians—highlighting Hichilema's prior stance against similar legislation when he was in opposition. Lawmaker Miles Sampa has accused the President of hypocrisy for reversing his position on freedom of expression.
As Zambians and the international community continue to scrutinize the law’s implications, the US embassy has advised Americans to evaluate their circumstances thoroughly in light of this new, contentious legal framework.
The Zambian government justifies the law as a necessary measure to combat online fraud, child pornography, and disinformation. However, following the US alert, officials from Zambia's foreign ministry sought to calm public fears, asserting that the law does not permit mass surveillance and requires a court-issued warrant for any interception or data requests. They emphasized that the term "critical information" pertains specifically to national security and that all actions under the law would adhere to established legal procedures.
Critics have voiced significant concern regarding the potential misuse of the law, particularly in the context of upcoming elections, as there are apprehensions that it could be weaponized against government dissenters. Activists like Laura Miti have denounced the law as tyrannical and hypocritical, given that the US has its own history of surveillance practices. Miti pointedly referenced the revelations by Edward Snowden, drawing parallels between US practices and those now being implemented in Zambia.
The legislation enables law enforcement officers, with a warrant, to search premises for computers containing evidence of crimes defined under the law. It also permits the government to extradite individuals deemed to have violated its provisions, with severe penalties that include lengthy prison sentences. ICT companies are mandated to proactively monitor all electronic communications, altering the landscape of privacy for internet users in Zambia.
This abrupt legislative change, which was signed into law by President Hakainde Hichilema with little prior notice to the public, has reignited criticism from opposition politicians—highlighting Hichilema's prior stance against similar legislation when he was in opposition. Lawmaker Miles Sampa has accused the President of hypocrisy for reversing his position on freedom of expression.
As Zambians and the international community continue to scrutinize the law’s implications, the US embassy has advised Americans to evaluate their circumstances thoroughly in light of this new, contentious legal framework.
