“Navigating the Digital Landscape: Protecting Rights in Zambia”

By Adel Mumba/Melo Media | Sunday, 28^th January 2024

Digital Rights involve different issues that are sitting at the intersection of human rights, technology, and social justice. Some of them are well-known and others are still in development mostly because Digital Rights are a newer idea that is directly related to our societies’ increased use of the Internet and communication platforms to conduct our daily lives.

However, Digital Rights have evolved to also include Internet accessibility, digital literacy, and digital labor rights, among others.

In Zambia, it is notably disheartening to see most social media influencers defile this digital privilege by engaging in scandalous social media feuds that do not benefit netizens positively.

The digital right is abused due to malicious attacks aimed at their fellow netizens, therefore causing a not-so-favourable social frenzy.

Authoritarian governments also tend to abuse this digital right by limiting access to the internet to most of its citizens during elections, as was the case during the August 2016 General Elections.

Digital Rights are reflective of the rights we are entitled to as citizens as we conduct more of our lives online. It includes a diversity of issues ranging from freedom of expression to rights to privacy.

The fight for digital rights affects everyone, but especially the most vulnerable and marginalized communities around the globe.

The LGBTQ populations in countries where it is illegal to be themselves, investigative journalists in all countries, women and children who experience harassment and discrimination online, different movements who are being surveilled or censored online because of their activism, and digital gig workers under precarious conditions, among many other groups.

Authoritarian governments and bad actors have invested more money and energy into using the Internet and communication platforms to attack, punish, silence, and spread information.

They pass and sometimes suggest laws that criminalize freedom of expression and the use of encryption technologies that keep users private and secure. In certain regions.

Henceforth, Digital right is a privilege that ought to be enjoyed within the confines of the law without any interference from authorities and the governance system. Both players on the internet must be cautious of playing Internet smart while enjoying this digital privilege of self-expression.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of Melo Media Zambia.