PEOPLE who have been known to harbour the encyclopedia of insults in their mouth to unleash unprintables online will now have to zip it or they will be zipped into prison.
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With the coming of the newly refined Cyber Crimes Act No. 4 of 2025, Insultant Generals (IGs) and Why Me’s of our time who roam the streets of social media armed with nothing but data bundles and disrespect will now face the full wrath of the law for insulting others online.
The refined act will not allow sewer mouthed individuals to comfortably wake up, log into Facebook or any other online platform and begin typing a full paragraph of well-seasoned insults with no consequences.
From now on, that kind of vulgar and obscene keyboard warfare may no longer end with just a comment section as it might end in jail.
Under Part II, Section 22 of the new Act, any person who uses a computer or social media platform to post content that is “obscene, vulgar, lewd, lascivious or indecent” with the intent to humiliate, harass or cause emotional distress is committing an offence.
“A person shall not use a computer or computer system to (a) publish or transmit electronic data that is obscene, vulgar,
lewd, lascivious or indecent with intent to humiliate, harass or cause substantial emotional distress to another
person ; or (b) repeatedly send to another person electronic data that is
obscene, vulgar, lewd, lascivious or indecent with intent to humiliate or harass the other person to the detriment of that person’s health, emotional well-being, self-esteem
or reputation,” reads Section 22 (1).
The refined law allows you to report offenders for such conduct.
This law also goes further to say that if you knowingly share false information, images or statements that damage another person’s reputation or expose them to public ridicule, hatred, contempt or embarrassment, you are now treading on legal landmines.
“A person shall not use a computer or computer system to disseminate information, statement or image, knowing the same to
be false that, (a) causes damage to the reputation of another person; or (b) subjects another person to public ridicule, contempt, hatred or embarrassment,” reads Section 22 (2).
A person found guilty under these provisions faces a fine of up to K60,000 or two years imprisonment or both.
This move comes in response to rising cases of cyber bullying, fake news and defamation online, especially on platforms like Facebook, TikTok and WhatsApp.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, May 1, 2025
