Administrators of WhatsApp groups operating within Zimbabwe's borders are now compelled to register and secure a license from the Post and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (POTRAZ).
The new controversial licensing requirement, outlined at a recent POTRAZ breakfast meeting, set the minimum cost for a license at $50, with fees going up to US$2,500 depending on the type of WhatsApp group.
The move has ostensibly been necessitated by the need to tighten data security and privacy for all citizens.
Information Communications Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister, Tatenda Mavetera, said all WhatsApp group administrators will soon be required to register and obtain a license from POTRAZ to operate their groups.
In addition to getting a license, WhatsApp group admins will be required to appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) trained and certified by POTRAZ.
This move is intended to ensure compliance with Zimbabwe's Data Protection Act, which governs the handling of personal information.
Under the Act, personal data is defined as any information that can be used to directly or indirectly identify a person. Since WhatsApp group admins have access to members' phone numbers, the government argues that these groups fall under data protection regulations.
Mavetera noted that the latest development would affect not only businesses, but also community organisations, churches, and any other groups that collect personal data.
"Even churches who collect personal data ought to have such a license and appoint a DPO," Mavetera said.
Those found in violation of the fresh clampdown measures risk penalties, jail time, or both.
The new controversial policy, which comes against a backdrop of growing use of the popular social media application to stir political debates as President Emmerson Mnangagwa is locked in a power tussle with his deputy Constantino Chiwenga, is seen as an infringement on citizens' right to free speech and association.
Zimbabwe joins a growing number of countries gravitating towards shutting digital spaces amid growing dissent and anger against the ruling Zanu PF party.
