Mauritius Targets 20-year Prison for Fake Profiles, Fake News Crackdown

ICT Minister, Avinash Ramtohul, has expressed concern over the spread of fake profiles and false information on social media, often posted anonymously. He emphasized that this issue disrupts society and poses an increasing challenge.

Minister Ramtohul reminded that while the legal framework on online harms is still incomplete, some laws are already in place.

The Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Act defines a fake profile as a false online identity and strictly prohibits its use to cause harm.

Offenders can face up to 20 years in prison and fines of Rs1 Million.

The law also requires platform administrators, including private groups, to monitor and remove misleading or malicious content.

To combat these problems, authorities are implementing several measures.

These include improving the reporting system called MoCose+, establishing a multi-agency committee with police and cybercrime units, launching public awareness campaigns, and deploying 24/7 digital patrols supported by artificial intelligence.

International judicial cooperation is also being considered to identify perpetrators operating from abroad.

Ramtohul assured that these actions respect freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution.

Their goal is to reduce online abuses and safeguard the integrity of the country’s digital space.

Source: l’Express