As the citizen mobilization against the re-registration of SIM cards continues to gain momentum, the constitutional complaint filed by attorney Pazhany Rangasamy has once again been brought before Chief Justice Rehana Mungly-Gulbul.
Attorney Rangasamy has submitted a list of responses to questions posed by the state and mobile operators.
The case has been adjourned until April 19 to allow the defendants to submit their defenses.
Once these documents are produced, the case is expected to be ready for substantive examination, with Chief Justice setting a strict schedule with a deadline of April 22 for detailed scrutiny.
In his responses to the state and operators’ questions, Attorney Rangasamy highlighted several shortcomings in the contested regulations.
He particularly emphasized the lack of clear procedures for the retention of data generated or processed by telecommunications operators.
The current regulations, he said, do not provide adequate guarantees regarding the personal data of users of electronic communications services, nor on how biometric data will be stored.
The criticized regulations impose registration, retention, and storage obligations on operators, Attorney Rangasamy stressed, but do not specify how this data will be accessed and used.
This lack of guarantees, he argued, raises concerns about the security and confidentiality of citizens’ personal data, especially regarding SIM card re-registration, which could facilitate fraud such as cloning or card diversion.
Attorney Rangasamy’s responses highlight the numerous gaps and uncertainties surrounding the new regulations.
Mainly criticizing the lack of clarity on how data generated or processed by operators will be retained, the attorney highlighted the risk of privacy violations inherent in these measures.
The central issue raised revolves around the absence of clear directives regarding the storage of biometric data.
The current regulations, as formulated, raise concerns about the indefinite retention of this sensitive data, with no solid guarantee of its security or ethical and legal use.
Moreover, the debate continues to intensify in the public sphere. A symbolic gathering took place outside the Supreme Court, underscoring the growing concern of Mauritians about these new measures.
Organizers Lindee Lutchmiah and Linda Lam urged citizens to seek clarification from authorities and mobile operators before complying with the re-registration of their SIM cards.
Source: l’Express
