African Media Barometer Zambia 2021 Summary Mere days before this national assessment, the government of Zambia enacted a controversial digital security law, the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act of 2021, ostensibly to promote the 'responsible use of social media platforms'. The already treacherous environment for the operation of free and independent media has been dealt an overwhelming blow as this law is widely regarded by civil society to have a chilling effect on freedom of expression, media freedom and Zambians’ right to privacy. Civil society retaliated by launching a legal challenge calling for sections of this legislation to be declared unconstitutional. Local and international media freedom and digital rights advocates have pointed out that the Act falls far short of regional and international standards and instruments on human rights, such as the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo Convention), which sets the standards for cybersecurity and personal data protection laws as well as capacity building, knowledge exchanges and experience sharing among signatories. Nonetheless, it would appear that the Zambian government’s actions are aligned with a broader regional (Southern African) approach to take pre-emptive measures against perceived external interference, the impact of fake news and abuse of social media, particularly in electoral processes. However, this is considered a pre-emptive strike to curb dissenting voices on social media ahead of the scheduled 2021 General Elections slated for 12 August 2021. “They control print and broadcasting, but they have struggled to stake a claim in the social media space,” a panellist declared, noting that the government’s stated ambition is to control the social media space, especially Facebook. This is a strategic response to a steady growth in the use of social media in Zambia, which has spurred an appetite for expanded digital rights. However, through the digital security law, the government can now effectively police the use of social media, legalise spying on citizens and arrest free speech. Nonetheless, some sections of Zambian society, particularly female politicians, have welcomed the law stating that it offers some level of protection for women from cyberbullying and gender-based violence online. ‘The politics of belonging’ is a phrase used recurrently by the panellists to describe the polarisation of Zambia on ethno-regional and political lines. This has not escaped the media, many of whom, for their own survival, have opted to sympathise with a certain political party for fear of reprisals. Panellists noted that these reprisals often manifest through acts of intimidation and unadulterated violence by party cadres, largely desperate and unemployed youths, who AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER ZAMBIA 2021 5