Panos Institute Southern Africa has advised government to find an alternative way of curbing yellow journalism or fake news without restricting social media or infringing on citizens’ rights.
According to a statement made available to ZANIS , today, PANOS Executive Director Lilian Kiefer said her institution was concerned at reports indicating that government intends to restrict access to some social media platforms like Facebook.
Mrs Kiefer observed that this development could infringe on the Right to Freedom of Expression which she said would threaten the country’s democracy.
She added that this could lead to limited participation by Zambians in the global village, and curtail the growth of ICT based businesses.
She explained that social media platforms were an important source of information for the citizens and has in many cases been used by citizens to engaged government on issues of national interest.
She has appealed to government not to ban social media sites like Facebook but instead work with stakeholders to a way of curbing abuse and ensuring that social media was used for communication that can shape the country’s development.
Transport and Communications Minister Brian Mushimba was recently quoted in the media saying government was contemplating restricting social media in the country noting that some people were highly abusing this platform.
Restricting social media will be retrogressive…. find ways to deal with fake news.
Someone is lazy to think outside the box to curb this. I personally think, this is subterfuge to tone down real information and issues facing the nation example fire trucks and the like. People are getting more detail.
Reminds me of The post… social media is providing more knowledge… that is the real reason of wanting to close that down.
We close social media, Zambia will forever be backwards. information is what leads to innovation and development. This is what government should try to swing social media to move to. People in other countries are making millions of dollars out of social media.
What Zambia should not do is look at China like the way minister of information alluded to…
Cont – China has structures of development, Zambia has none but borrowing structures…
You guys need to think through this and find another way to curb fake news. This is pathetic!
I can predict the fall of PF once this happens… people will be more resolved to kick them out like they did UNIP. I was once told by my father that apples and cocacola including foreign currency were once illegal. These were things we were buying and people were increasingly getting fade up
Now take away free stuff like social media and you signing death warrant for your own party. Do not be lazy to work and channel social media to something positive and favourable for Zambia.
Am really disappointed… just a few days ago I participated on radio Phoenix calling Brian one of the few honourable ministers you can call honourable.
I guess I was wrong and I really hate to be wrong… citizens once they shut us off the only link we have with Zambians displaced and working abroad, shut down families interacting in a way like never before yet living so far apart. I f this happens, it is to me to part company with PF of which I am a member and do not wish to subscribe to this nonsense anymore!
They do that Zambia raise up and show them the door!!!
Curb fake news…?? That’s ridiculous. Just do the right thing. Show the public the positive things you are doing and have strict policies on performance and ethics. THe only problem now is that the same government is mingling corruption and good works..Most government offices don’t have ethics. You have ministers and civil servants being caught in scandals without public punishment? Ofcourse, you will have a messy government like that. We are human, we tend to see the corruption first, because its detestable and unwanted. FIX YOUR POLICIES AND ETHICS before you fix the nation.
Comment:Close it. There is alot rubbish
Remove PF cadres from controlling dead ZNBC and let it run professionally and independently then people will tune in
PF has already lost the vote of street vendors and their family members…. those living below the poverty line. Blocking Facebook further decreases their popularity among the middle and high class voters…. especially the youth.
Not sure if this is the strategy proposed by their Israeli advisors, but right now, unless they have some clever tricks up their sleeve, rigging seems the only way forward for PF…
Personally, I am able to judge nonsense from sense. Like the audio where someone claims that sewer is spilling allover Kansenshi, I was in Kansenshi and there was no spewing sewer so how can I believe such wag wash? Yes let the opposition use fake news to win power but what happens when they get to State House? Will fake news end. They will have created a monster which will consume them unless they do what is being suggested here. No let it be free because a lie can never become a truth.