Mauritius Blocks Social Media Until After Election Amid Wiretapping Scandal

The island nation of Mauritius blocked social media for residents this week until after its upcoming elections following a recent wiretapping scandal.

On Friday, the Mauritian government blocked access to social media sites just days ahead of the November 10 parliamentary elections in which Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth is seeking a second term.

The national communications regulator announced the directive, stating that social media platforms would remain blocked until November 11, the day following the election.

Wiretapping Scandal

The sweeping social media ban comes on the heels of a wiretapping scandal that shook the country last month after recordings of conversations involving politicians, business leaders and civil society members were leaked online.

Media freedom group Reporters Without Borders reported that recordings of conversations involving five prominent journalists were also leaked on social media.

“With the general elections taking place in two weeks, Mauritius has been shaken by a wiretapping scandal. Since 18 October, around twenty conversations involving politicians, police officers, lawyers and members of civil society have been leaked on social media. Five well-known journalists have been affected by these leaks,” Reporters Without Borders said on its website.

The group’s message on the scandal added, “While Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, the country’s prime minister, and police have claimed that the audio excerpts were manipulated using artificial intelligence, the five journalists, contacted by RSF, confirmed the authenticity of the leaked conversations.”

The government of Mauritius, an Indian Ocean island nation of 1.2 million people, has labeled the leaks a national security threat and directed the communications authority to suspend all social media access.

Social Media Ban

On Friday, the Information and Communication Technology Authority (ICTA) issued a statement saying it “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.”

Network provider EMTEL announced Friday that it would comply with the government directive, cautioning that users will experience “progressive disruptions.”

“EMTEL understands the inconvenience that this action shall cause to its customers but reiterates that it has no alternative other than to comply with ICTA directive”, EMTEL said.

Local media reported Friday that the prime minister’s office issued a statement describing the social media suspension as essential for safeguarding national security and preserving the country’s integrity.

The statement added that a crisis committee was actively meeting to address “existing risks.”

This article includes reporting from the Associated Press.