THE United Nations has recommended and urged Government to combat the escalating spread of fake news, political propaganda, and toxic social media content not through silencing voices, but by empowering citizens and safeguarding freedom of expression.
This call follows a visit to Zambia by UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan, who concluded that disinformation in the country has reached worrying levels.
Khan’s observations, detailed in a recent report, highlight political players, influencers, and media personalities, some operating from outside Zambia, as primary drivers of this trend.
“The content is marked by a high degree of polarizing and toxic speech and a low regard for factual accuracy,” Khan stated in her report.
She noted that social media platforms in Zambia have become a fertile ground for falsehoods, hate speech and division, a trend she warned threatens national cohesion and public trust in democratic institutions.
Rather than advocating for online censorship or speech suppression, the UN has put forth a series of practical, human rights-based solutions to counter the rising tide of disinformation.
Key among these recommendations is a call for the government to flood the public space with truth by proactively sharing accurate, factual information.
The UN also urged support for independent fact-checkers, including credible civil society organisations.
Furthermore, the UN recommended the integration of digital literacy skills into Zambia’s education system.
This initiative aims to equip citizens, particularly the youth, with the tools to identify fake news and use the internet responsibly.
Special Rapporteur Khan also pressed authorities to take more robust action to protect women, girls, and gender-nonconforming individuals from online abuse and targeted misinformation.
The recommendations come as Zambia grapples with the pervasive influence of online falsehoods and divisive content.
By George Musonda
Kalemba June 18, 2025
