20/05/2026
The Girls Table hosted a WhatsApp discussion on digital rights featuring guest speaker Sean Ndlovu, exploring how surveillance and data collection affect the safety and autonomy of young women in Zimbabwe.
Participants learned that everyday activities on platforms like WhatsApp, TikTok, and Instagram, alongside mobile money transactions and SIM registration, generate data that feeds into broader tracking systems including CCTV, GPS, and biometric databases. A key concern was the lack of transparency around who accesses this data and for how long.
The session highlighted how casually sharing locations, routines, and personal images online creates real vulnerabilities. Ndlovu noted that digital content rarely disappears permanently, even after deletion. While Zimbabwe's Cyber and Data Protection Act criminalizes offences like non-consensual image sharing and cyberbullying, shame, stigma, and fear of victim-blaming continue to prevent survivors from reporting abuse.
The group also reflected on how routinely accepting app terms and conditions without reading them allows platforms to collect voice, facial, location, and behavioural data, surrendering significant control over one's digital footprint without informed consent.
The session closed with practical safety steps, including strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and limiting location permissions, reinforcing that digital literacy is now a core component of personal safety for young women.