Information Society Watch

July 31, 2006, Reporters Sans Frontiers

A bill submitted to Zimbabwe's parliament would allow government authorities to intercept and read e-mail messages and also tap into mobile phone calls, via a Monitoring Centre, without needing a judge's permission. According to Reporters Without Borders, who have urged the bill's rejection, the Zimbabwean regime is using the war on terrorism as a pretext for suppressing critical voices in the press and political opposition. The bill aims to reinforce control over an already debilitated independent press. Reporters Without Borders is fearful that if the law comes into effect, it will allow journalists and opposition politicians to be placed under surveillance without any control from the courts.

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