ZICTA advises people against posting their NRCs and Voters cards on Social media

ZAMBIA Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA) has urged members of the public to desist from posting their national registration cards and voters cards on social media.

ZICTA acting manager for consumer Edgar Mlauzi said sharing of personal documents on social media was risk as hackers could pounce on those information details and make similar identity cards.

Mr Mlauzi said in an interview in Choma where ZICTA, Lifeline – Child Line Zambia and Airtel conducted a series of sensitisation programmes on online child protection.

Mr Mlauzi said there was a tendency by members of the public to post their personal information on social media which he described as wrong.

“Members of the public should not be so careless to share their personal information on social media even passwords, this is not safe as a hackers could get that information and make similar documents,” Mr Mlauzi said.

He said ZICTA has embarked on the sensitisation programme to create awareness on the toll free child online protection line 116.

He said this was an internationally recognised number and ZICTA do not charge it was a toll free number in all the mobile networks in the country.

“We are sensitising the community on the cyber world because there is a lot of cyber exposure to obscene materials and when members of the public dial that number they get helped,” he said.

ZICTA recently trained 100 teachers from Southern province on children protection and cyber security.

“We decided to target teachers because they are at the centre and would easily pass on the information to parents and guardians,” he said.

He said 70% of internet users in the country were below 30 years hence his organisation to embark on the sensitisation measurers.

Lifeline – Child Line Zambia Communications manager Timeo Phiri said his organisation was sensitising the community to report all gender based violence cases and defilement cases.

“ We have this Toll free number and we link up the people to the respective offices in matters of gender based violence and also child protection. The toll free number for GBV was 933,” Mr Phiri said.

He said his organisation had embarked on sensitisation campaigns in schools and has been advising the children to report any form of abuse.

Lifeline – Child Line Zambia child protection officer Emma Katayi said her office ensures that reported cases of defilement were taken to court so that the perpetrators are convicted.

“We follow up the cases and ensure that such cases are taken to court,” she said.

Airtel Zambia who were also part of the sensitisation campaign team urged the members of the public to utilise its channels of communications apart from its 111 line.

Airtel Zambia head of Call centre operations Anthony Phiri said Airtel was on twitter, facebook and also had an email which members of the public can call whenever they have complaints and concerns.