Online safety & content laws in Zimbabwe (2026)

Enacted 3 December 2021 and operative from March 2022, the Act (Chapter 12:07) is Zimbabwe's primary cyber-law, covering cybercrime offences, data-protection duties for controllers and processors, and the creation of a Data Protection Authority and Cyber Security Centre within POTRAZ.

Section 379C of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act (inserted by the 2021 Act) gives ISPs a safe harbour if they did not initiate or modify a transmission, but removes that protection if they fail to promptly remove or disable access to unlawful content — with liability up to two years' imprisonment.

Statutory Instrument 155 of 2024 requires all data controllers and processors to register with POTRAZ and appoint a Data Protection Officer. The compliance deadline was March 2025, with fines up to USD 1,000 or seven years' imprisonment for breaches.

The Minister of Information announced in early 2025 that the government is drafting a new law to regulate social media platforms and hold users accountable for content. MISA Zimbabwe has publicly opposed the move, arguing the existing Cyber and Data Protection Act already covers social media and that further legislation risks over-regulation and erosion of constitutional free-expression rights (Sections 61–62).

Amendments to the Broadcasting Services Act promulgated in May 2025 expanded its scope to include digital media platforms and internet-based broadcasting services such as podcasts, extending broadcast-style regulation into the online space.

Zimbabwe ordered nationwide internet shutdowns in 2019 (during anti-government protests) and on the eve of the August 2023 general election. Freedom House rated Zimbabwe 'Not Free' in its 2024 and 2025 Freedom on the Net reports, citing arrests of journalists and ordinary users for online political criticism and persistent government surveillance.