Consumer protection agencies should find ways of protecting children from digital devices like mobile phones and online transactions which can be harmful to them. Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Christopher Yaluma said agencies such as the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) should work towards restricting access to any material deemed to be harmful. He said it is important that children are made aware of opportunities and pitfalls that come with being online.

The minister said this yesterday during the International Consumer Protection Enforcement Network (ICPEN) annual conference being held for the first time in Zambia since its inception in 1992. The conference, which has attracted delegates from over 60 countries across the world, is being held on the theme ‘Freedom for consumers through global collaboration’.

Mr Yaluma said the threat posed by online technology to children is a challenge that should be addressed by all stakeholders. “While children are truly becoming digital citizens in an online world that has no borders, they equally need to be aware of how these digital technologies can also have a negative effect on their lives such as cyber- bullying, identity theft, privacy and online abuse,” he said.

The minister said child online protection is a critical issue that urgently requires a global and coordinated response in the era of broadband internet. Mr Yaluma said international cooperation is key to protecting children from online platforms. “Children are increasingly enjoying consumer freedom and are more active in buying goods and services due to various factors such as peer influences and advertisements,” he said. And Mr Yaluma says the practice of unsolicited sale of goods and services has been a major consumer challenge in many countries and it needs to be addressed.

“In Zambia, unsolicited sales are mostly common in the insurance sector where consumers are enlisted for policies they did not sign up for,” he said. Mr Yaluma urged CCPC to promote consumer education and ensure that consumers are knowledgeable about their rights and obligations, laws, judicial systems and redress mechanisms to protect them. CCPC executive director Chilufya Sampa said partnerships are significant as they provide a platform for learning and sharing information and experiences in resolution of cases and ensure lawful conduct in markets.

Mr Sampa, who is ISPEN president, said the network is aiming at increasing participation of more African countries and regional blocs in the annual events. “This will enable them to contribute to setting the agenda for this global network so that consumer issues for developed and developing countries are taken into consideration,” he said.