JOHANNESBURG — The government of Mauritius on Friday banned access to social media ahead of parliamentary elections on November 10 in which Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth is seeking a second term in office.
The order was announced by the national communications regulator, which said social media will be closed until November 11, the day after the election.
The unprecedented ban on social media follows the wiretapping scandal that rocked the country last month when recorded conversations of politicians, businessmen and members of civil society organizations were leaked.
According to the press freedom organization, Reporters Without Borders, recorded interviews of five well-known journalists have also been published on social media.
The government of the Indian Ocean island nation, which has a population of 1.2 million, said the leak was a threat to national security and ordered social media to stop all access to social media.
“The ICT Authority wishes to inform the public that due to concerns about illegal postings that pose a serious threat to national security and public safety, it has received instructions on the evening of October 31, 2024, to direct all Internet Service Providers to suspend. access to all social media until November 11, 2024”, said the Information and Communication Technology Authority on Friday.
Network service provider EMTEL said on Friday it would comply with the order and users' experiences would be “gradually disrupted”.
“EMTEL understands the disruption this action will cause to its customers but reiterates that there is no other option than to comply with ICTA's order”, it said.
Local media on Friday quoted a statement from the prime minister's office saying that the suspension of social media is important to protect national security and national integrity.
It said the crisis committee was meeting to contain “current risks”.
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