Zimbabwe is not a signatory of the 1996 World Trade Organization (WTO) Information Technology Agreement (ITA) nor the 2015 expansion (ITA II).

It is reported that the de minimis threshold, that is the minimum value of goods below which customs do not charge duties, is USD 50 for commercial shipments (below the 200 USD threshold recommended by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and USD 2,000 for personal shipments.

Registration for the ".zm" country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is managed by ZICTA as provided for under the 2021 Electronic Communications and Transactions Act. It is reported that such public ownership may compromise the anonymity of ".zm "website owners, given the potential lack of independence of the regulatory authority. Almost all independent online news sites use the ".com" domain, which may stem from a distrust of ZICTA. The Act also provides a government minister with the authority to create statutory agreements governing domain name registration and “the circumstances and manner in which registrations may be assigned, registered, renewed, refused, or revoked.”. Such direct oversight of local web domains may allow the government to access user data belonging to local content creators and hosts. Moreover, the applicant has to be an entity based in Zambia.

According to Regulation 4.j of the Companies (General) Regulation, a prerequisite for the registration of a foreign company in Zambia is the appointment of at least one documentary agent. This agent can be either a firm or corporate body registered in Zambia or an individual who resides in Zambia.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 provides a comprehensive framework for consumer protection that also applies to online transactions.

Zambia has not signed the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts.

Zambia has adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Commerce.

Zambia has adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Signatures.

Section 66 of the Information and Communication Technologies Act prohibits the use, supply, sale, offer for sale, lease or hire of any electronic communications equipment or electronic communications apparatus, including radiocommunications equipment, used or to be used in connection with the provision of electronic communications unless subjected to approval test to ascertain conformance with the technical standards formulated by the Authority.
It is reported that test certificates from foreign laboratories are accepted if the laboratories are accredited.

Section 34 of Act No. 4 of 2021 requires a person who intends to provide cryptography services to apply for registration to the National Root Certification Authority and to pay the prescribed fee. It is reported that the registration requirements might make it easy for the regulator and other government agencies to access information held by encryption service providers, including decryption keys and encrypted data. Under Section 34, a person who provides a cryptography service without registration is liable for a fine of ZMW 150,000 (approx. USD 8,300) or imprisonment of up to five years. Moreover, per Section 83, the Minister may, by statutory instrument, prescribe procedures for service providers to inform the competent public authorities of alleged illegal activities or information provided by recipients of their service and communicate to the competent authorities, at their request, information enabling the identification of recipients of their service. Section 85 permits the use of encryption, regardless of the encryption algorithm selected, encryption key length chosen, or implementation technique or medium used, in the manner provided for under the law. Further, section 86 of the Act provides that the Act should not be construed as requiring the use of any form of encryption that “limits or affects the ability of the person to use encryption without a key escrow function, or limits or affects the ability of the person who uses encryption with a key escrow function not to use a key holder.” Section 89 punishes the use of encryption to obstruct or impede a law enforcement officer or interfere with their performance of any functions under the Act, with a fine of up to ZMW 60,000 (approx. USD 2,700), imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or both.
Act No. 4 of 2021 repealed and replaced Act No. 21 of 2009. Sections 22 and 23 of Act No. 21 established a register of all cryptography providers. A person could only provide cryptographic services or products if they were registered with the Communications Authority. Section 89 of Act No. 21 made it an offence to use encryption to hinder or obstruct a law enforcement officer or to interfere with the performance of a law enforcement officer of any function under the Act.

Service providers and technology companies are required by law to assist the government in the lawful interception of communications. The law gives the government significant powers to compel service providers to monitor communications. According to Section 9 of the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act, a cyber inspector may in the performance of the inspector’s functions, with a warrant—(a) monitor and inspect a computer system or activity on an information system, where such activity or information is not in public domain or is not accessible to the public; (b) enter and inspect the premises of a cyber security service provider if there is reasonable ground to believe that the licensee has contravened the provisions of this Act; and (c) audit critical information infrastructure".

According to Art. 34 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 2021, cryptography service providers must register with the National Root Certification Authority. This requirement has been retained from the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act of 2009. Providing cryptography services without registration is classified as a criminal offence, punishable by imprisonment for up to five years, a fine of up to ZMW 150,000 (approximately USD 7,100), or both.

In August 2020, the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) stated that online broadcasters would have to apply for licenses from the authority and be subject to its regulations. The statement followed an investigation into whether Prime TV could operate exclusively online. Legal experts criticised the IBA's assertion that Zambian law (through the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Association Act) designates the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) as the sole regulator with authority over the Internet. The IBA once again urged online broadcasters to register with it in March 2021. However, reportedly, no broadcasters have registered because there is still no framework for applying for licences.

Section 71.1 of the Data Protection Act allows for the transfer of personal data outside Zambia, except sensitive personal data, on condition that:
- The data subject has consented, and the transfer is made subject to standard contracts or intra-group schemes that the Data Protection Commissioner has approved, or the Minister has prescribed for the transfer outside the Republic to be permissible.
- The Data Protection Commissioner approves a particular transfer or set of transfers as permissible due to a situation of necessity.
Consideration by the Minister to sanction the cross-border transfer of personal data is based on the adequate level of protection, having regard to the applicable laws and international agreements in the destination country; and that the enforcement of data protection laws by authorities with appropriate jurisdiction is effective (Section 71.2).