ZIMBABWE'S Information Communications Technology Minister, Tatenda Mavetera, has described as 'false' reports claiming government is gravitating towards penalising WhatsApp group administrators, clarifying that such fines would only apply to platforms or administrators who collect Personally Identifiable Information (PII) for business or commercial use.
In a statement posted on X, Mavetera who endured flake from angry netizens distanced herself from the allegations, clarifying that the claims were false and not applicable to platforms or administrators that do not collect or process PII for commercial or business purposes. 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 false claims, emphasising 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 USD 2,500," Mavetera wrote.
"This claim is not applicable, especially to players who do not collect or process Personally Identifiable Information (PII) for commercial or business use. 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 penalise WhatsApp groups or administrators of any social media platform that do not collect and process PII for commercial or business use," she further said.
The minister, who faced criticism following her appointment to the lofty post, reassured the public of the government's commitment to speed up cyber and data democratisation and security.
"This is in line with our overarching mandate in the Constitution to promote access to information for all in a safe and secure environment," Mavetera added.
