New online child protection strategy launched

The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority, in partnership with Unicef, has launched the National Child Online Protection Strategy 2025-2029 aimed at creating a safe and inclusive digital environment that shields children from online abuse, exploitation and harmful content. The new strategy follows the revision of the 2020 National Online Protection Strategy and responds to the rapidly evolving digital landscape, which presents both opportunities and risks for children, says the Lusaka Times. At the launch, Minister of Technology & Science Felix Mutati said the strategy marks a major milestone in Zambia’s efforts to safeguard children in digital spaces. He added that achieving this goal requires a strong national child online protection system built on collaboration among government agencies, the private sector, civil society and communities. Meanwhile, Unicef country representative Saja Abdullah noted that online abuse remains a growing global concern, with emerging threats such as Artificial Intelligence generated deep fake content and simulated exploitation in virtual environments. And ZICTA director-general Collins Mbulo said the success of the initiative hinges on collaboration from all sectors of society.

Full Lusaka Times report