#KeepItOn Mauritius: global coalition urges first-time offender to end crackdown on social media

We, the undersigned organizations, and members of the #KeepItOn coalition — a global network of over 334 human rights organizations from 105 countries working to end internet shutdowns — urgently demand that the government of Mauritius put an immediate end to the ongoing social media shutdown enforced by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA) that is intended to continue until November 11. This shutdown is a gross violation of national and international human rights frameworks and must not be allowed to continue. 

This is the first time Mauritius has shut down the internet since the #KeepItOn coalition started to document instances of internet shutdowns in 2016. Known for its strong record of upholding political and civil liberties, Mauritius has consistently been rated as a free country. Yet, with this deliberate shutdown of essential social media platforms just ahead of elections, there is a risk of undermining the country’s human rights and democratic progress.

Election-related shutdowns prevent voters, journalists, opposition, and election observers from accessing or sharing essential information, decreasing the fairness, credibility, and transparency of elections. They empower incumbent regimes to control the narrative throughout the electoral period, undermining the electorate’s ability to make informed decisions, access polling resources, and fully shape their nation’s future.

The ICT authority claims the shutdown is meant to control illegal publications that may “threaten national security and public safety”. This narrative has repeatedly been shown as unfounded with evidence showing that shutdowns have the opposite effect on the information ecosystem. Shutting down the internet disrupts the flow of information, making it impossible for people to access timely and sometimes life-saving information, report accurately on matters of interest, and fact check. This in turn promotes the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation which stands to put the very national security authorities argue for at risk.

Internet shutdowns are a violation of human rights. The Mauritian constitution in Sections 12 and 13 guarantees the freedom of expression and access to information as fundamental human rights. International instruments to which Mauritius is a party such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) also expressly make provisions for these rights. International instruments have further pronounced themselves on the importance of full and fair internet access and even more specifically issued guidance to member states on internet shutdowns. 

In response to growing instances of shutdowns in the region in connection with elections, the ACHPR in its resolution 580 of 2024, recognizes the importance of internet connectivity to the realization of free, fair, and credible election, as a tenet of democracy. The resolution noted  21 countries in which elections would be taking place in the region in 2024, among them Mauritius, and recognized the increased use of the internet and social media platforms for the dissemination of information to voters, election observers, election management bodies, and other stakeholders during elections. The resolution urged state parties among other things to ensure open and secure internet access before, during, and after elections, “… including ensuring that telecommunications and internet service providers take adequate steps to provide unrestricted and uninterrupted access…” and specifically called on member states to refrain from implementing internet shutdowns before, during and after elections. 

Telecommunication companies have a duty to uphold human rights and undertake proactive steps to mitigate rights-violating practices such as internet shutdowns. The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights provide guidelines on how companies can promote human rights due to their unique position between authorities and the end user. The principles make specific recommendations including performing due diligence when entering new markets and implementing transparency measures around government directives. 

Access Now and members of the #KeepItOn coalition call on the government of Mauritius and urge the following:

• We demand that the government of Mauritius and the ICTA immediately reverse its decision to shut down essential digital platforms ahead of elections and ensure that access is fully restored; 
• We urge the government of Mauritius to refrain from executing any further disruptions to guarantee people’s rights, before, during, and after elections.
• We urge telecommunication companies, Emtel and Mauritius Telecom to uphold their duty toward people, push back against illegal government directives, and keep people connected.
• We appeal to the international community to join civil society in condemning the internet shutdown in Mauritius and demanding an immediate end to the shutdown.

Signatories

Organizations

Individuals

• Adi Teelock, Mauritian Citizen
• Gada Schaub-Condrau, Mauritian Citizen 
• Nalini Burn, Mauritian Citizen