Tatenda Mavetera, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Information, Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services (ICTPCS) has denied plans by the government to license WhatsApp group administrators with a fee ranging from $50 to $2500.
The statement, which was released on Saturday, is in response to media reports suggesting that the minister allegedly directed WhatsApp group administrators to secure a licence to run their groups.
The statement partly reads, “I would like to distance myself from the malicious fake news of intentions by the government to licence or penalise WhatsApp Groups or Administrators of any social media platform/s USD 2500.”
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“This claim is not applicable especially to players who do not collect and process Personally Identifiable Information (PII) for commercial or business use.”
The Minister explains that Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is any information that can be used to identify an individual, such as their name, address, phone number, passport details, or identification number.
She urged the public to disregard the earlier information circulating in the media since it violates the country’s legal provisions as stated in Statutory Instrument (SI) 155 of the 2024 Cyber and Data Protection (Licencing of Data Controllers and Appointment of Data Protection Officers) Regulations.
“On my LinkedIn post, I never expressed any intentions to licence or penalise WhatsApp groups or administrators of any social media platform/s which do not collect and process (Personally Identifiable Information (PII) for commercial or business use.
“I wish to assure the public of government’s commitment through the Ministry of Information Communication Technology Postal and Courier Services to accelerate cyber and data democratisation and security to ensure that No One and No Place is Left Offline.
“This is in line with our overarching mandate to the constitution to promote access to information for all in a safe and secure environment,” she emphasised.
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WhatsApp group admins to secure a licence of $2500?
On Friday, the minister released a statement on her LinkedIn page that organisations that collect first-party data should secure a data protection licence with the licence fees ranging from $50 to $2500, including churches and WhatsApp group administrators, especially if the groups are meant for doing business.
The Minister further stated that failure to comply with the directives will attract penalties, as the new regulation complies with the Data Protection Act.
Since many Zimbabweans rely on WhatsApp groups for consumer communication and commercial marketing, this new regulation has immediately raised concerns. Small enterprises and unlicensed sellers that rely on these platforms for their livelihoods may be impacted by the regulation’s criminalisation of these organisations.
Given the extensive usage of WhatsApp for both personal and business purposes in Zimbabwe, critics contend that the new licensing rules may be challenging to execute and enforce. However, according to government authorities, the action is essential for safeguarding personal information in an increasingly digital economy.