FORMER Information Communication Technology (ICT) minister Supa Mandiwanzira (Nyanga South MP) yesterday claimed that President Emmerson Mnangagwa was the most abused person on social media while justifying the need to pass the Cyber Security and Data Protection Bill.
Among other issues, the Bill seeks to deal with abuse of social media through spreading of falsehoods, bad pictures and information that impairs the reputation of others, pornographic material, revenge pornography, computer fraud and other crimes related to the use of computers.
“It is a very good Bill in that it will ensure that people are made to account for what they post on social media because a lot of negative and hostile things have been posted about President Mnangagwa without evidence,” Mandiwanzira said.
Makonde MP Kindness Paradza said the Cyber Security and Data Protection Bill must not infringe on the rights of the media given that laws like the Freedom of Information Act have since been abused before to impinge on media freedom.
“The Bill must be clear on how it will deal with whistleblowers who use social media in assisting with information to deal with corruption,” Chidziva said.