Past

Service blocking

The government of Mauritius has ordered the blocking of all social media services from 1 to 11 November, the day after the country's national assembly election on 10 November 2024.  

  • Total Duration 1 day

Flag of Mauritius Mauritius

Population
1,245,779
UN Classification
  • Small Island Developing State

View full country profile for Mauritius

Local impact

This comes amidst a fiercely contested election campaign and a "wiretapping scandal" where recordings of conversations of at least 20 government officials are being circulated on social media.

[UPDATE - On 2 November, the government of Mauritius lifted the ban on social media services.]

This is the first time the Mauritius government has taken any action to block access to services on the Internet since we began tracking incidents on this site.

While not a complete Internet shutdown, the blocking of access to social media sites and services restricts the ability of people within Mauritius to communicate, collaborate, and engage in online commerce.

A great amount of business and economic activity now happens through social media services. This service blocking will not only damage communication throughout the country but will also significantly impact the Mauritius economy.

The KeepItOn Coalition has released a statement calling on the government of Mauritius to end this blocking of social media sites.  

Related documentation

The Mauritius Information & Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA) issued a communique on November 1 instructing all Internet service providers to temporarily suspend access to all social media services until 11 November 2024. The communique states:

The ICT Authority wishes to inform the public that in response to concerns regarding illegal postings that constitute a serious threat to national security and public safety, it has received directives in the evening of 31 October 2024, to direct all Internet Service Providers to temporarily suspend access to all social media platforms until 11 November 2024. In accordance and pursuant to section 18(1)(a) of the Information and Communication Technologies Act 2001 (ICT Act) to “implement the policy of government relating to the information and communication industry,” and to sections 18(1)(m) of ICT Act to “take steps to regulate or curtail the harmful and illegal content on the Internet and other information and communication services” and 17(3) of the ICT Act, the Authority has duly complied with the directive and has instructed all Internet Service Providers accordingly. The inconvenience caused to the public is regretted

A screen capture of the statement:

Communique from the Mauritius Information and Communication Technologies Authority requiring Internet service providers to block social media services through November 11, 2024

On 2 November 2024, the ICTA issued a second communique lifting the blocking of social media services. The text reads:

The Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA) hereby informs the public that, following recent developments and in consultation with relevant authorities, the temporary suspension of access to social media platforms is lifted. This decision follows a comprehensive review of the situation, considering the initial directive issued on 31 October 2024 and subsequent communiques released on 1 November 2024. The ICT Authority reiterates its commitment to upholding the principles of national security and public safety, while ensuring the regulated access to information and communication services. We thank the public for their patience and cooperation during this period.

A screenshot of the communique is available:

Communique from the Mauritius ICTA with the text: The Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA) hereby informs the public that, following recent developments and in consultation with relevant authorities, the temporary suspension of access to social media platforms is lifted. This decision follows a comprehensive review of the situation, considering the initial directive issued on 31 October 2024 and subsequent communiques released on 1 November 2024. The ICT Authority reiterates its commitment to upholding the principles of national security and public safety, while ensuring the regulated access to information and communication services. We thank the public for their patience and cooperation during this period.

Other supporting information

Data from the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) shows that blocking of social media services has begun in Mauritius.

Chart from OONI showing blocking of social media sites as of November 1, 2024.

Unfortunately OONI does not have a great number of probes operating in Mauritius and so their trend data is limited, but you can see the blockage has begun. If you live in Mauritius, you can help OONI by installing their probe software. Information about the OONI probe:

A slide that explains how to test your Internet connection with the OONI probe software. It explains how to install the software, what are some cautions and notes, and the links to install the software.

Social media

Shutdown history

  • 1 shutdown since 2018
  • 24 shutdown hours since 2018

View as a list

Community coverage

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