• The government of Mauritius has blocked all social media access in the country.
• It says access will be returned on 11th November 2024 after the elections are finished.
• Reports indicate that the blockage comes after conversations involving politicians were leaked on social media ahead of the elections.

The island nation of Mauritius has blocked all online social media websites from being accessed this morning as its 2024 elections are underway.

According to a communique from the Information & Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA), all social media platforms will be suspended from being accessed by the country’s citizens by their internet service providers until 11th November 2024.

This is being done to reportedly curb “a serious threat to national security and public safety.” It says it received the directive to block access on 31st October 2024.

South Africans living in Mauritius have told Hypertext that most of the popular social media sites are not working, including YouTube.

ICTA says the directive received was to “take steps to regulate or curtail the harmful and illegal content on the Internet and other information and communication services” in accordance with sections 18(1)(m) of the ICT act.

According to Reuters, the blocking of social networks comes after several conversations between politicians, police, lawyers, journalists and more were leaked on social media in mid-October. Conversations that allegedly paint Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and his Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) party in a negative light.

Jugnauth is looking to hold on to his party’s majority in the Mauritius parliament come the 10th November elections and secure himself another five-year term.

Politically motivated internet blockades are no uncommon occurrence in Africa. In June, the Kenyan government allegedly blocked internet access across the country and even in neighbouring countries in order to stall news of violent protests, according to internet watchdog Netblocks.

In August, the Tanzanian government blocked country-wide access to X, formerly Twitter, after pro-opposition party Chadema hashtags began trending on the local site. This followed the police’s arrest of Chadema chairperson and rival to President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tundu Lissu.

[Image – Photo by Sara Kurfeß on Unsplash]