Internet Shutdowns

The government of Mauritius has ordered the blocking of all social media services from November 1 through November 11, the day after the country’s national assembly election on November 10, 2024. 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 first time the Mauritius government has taken any actions 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.

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:

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: