Mobile ID Project: Mauritians Demand 5 Answers Now

The debate surrounding the re-registration of SIM cards remains a contentious issue in Mauritius. In the wake of Regulations ratified by Former Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth’s government, requiring every Mauritian to re-register their SIM cards, concerns over citizens’ right to personal data protection arose.

The collective Pa Tous Nou Sim Card was at the forefront of protests, voicing “the anxieties of the Mauritian people surrounding this project, which seemed implausible in its current form.”

Although the previous government, led by Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam, revoked these Regulations last December, which Pa Tous Nou Sim Card hailed as a victory, the current government has yet to provide clarity on the Mobile ID project as promised during the campaign.

The collective has now written to Prime Minister Ramgoolam, his Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Avinash Ramtohul, seeking further details on the project.

A Collective’s Plea for Answers

Linda Lam, Marie Ange Hossanee Rouget, and Vishwambh Damree, representatives of the collective, sent a correspondence to the Prime Minister and Minister of ICT this week.

They expressed concern over “the Mobile-ID project, raising several questions regarding the collection and preservation of citizens’ personal digital data.” The questions revolved around:

• The information sought
• The format used for data (whether biometric data will be collected or not)
• Users of this information
• Data storage method
• Data security

The Collective’s Demands

The collective cited the government’s discourse-programme, stating:

“We welcome the intentions expressed and hope for their implementation in due time.”

However, they take note of paragraph 28, mentioning the implementation of the Mobile-ID project, a digital identity of Mauritian citizens in the virtual world.

This project is to facilitate centralised services, including health, education, social security, and local authorities, with potential extensions to the private sector.

A Collective’s Plea for Reconsideration

The group demanded a meeting and discussions with key stakeholders, emphasizing the need for a re-evaluation of the project.

They asserted that “the population is now fully aware of the threat to their liberty and personal data with each request for and storage of personal data by any agency.”

The collective invites the government to reconsider the project and strengthen citizens’ rights to personal data protection under the Data Protection Act to restore public trust and confidence in safeguarding sensitive information.

Source: Le Mauricien