Mauritius Considers Two-Hour Daily Social Media Cap for Teens

The government of Mauritius is considering a two-hour daily limit on social media usage for teenagers, according to Dr. Avinash Ramtohul, Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation. The proposed limit is part of a broader effort to address online harassment and cyberbullying. Ramtohul presented the idea during a press conference in Ebene, alongside a proposed "School Mode" that would mute notifications from 08:00 to 15:00 on school days, and a "Sleep Mode" to silence them between midnight and 06:00.

The national cybersecurity watchdog, CERT-MU, reported 5,754 cyber incidents between January 1 and November 5, including 1,697 reports of online harassment, 761 of cyberbullying, 225 of sextortion, and 61 related to child sexual abuse material. Ramtohul emphasized that the ideas are still being discussed with Meta and would require fresh legislation before they take effect. The proposed limit is intended to nudge teenagers toward healthier social media habits, rather than imposing a strict rule.

The government of Mauritius is also working on a Public Sector Reforms Bill, aimed at reducing administrative delays and setting enforceable service standards across government. The bill would establish the Civil Service Ministry as the central body responsible for human resources, reform, and innovation. A new Central Disciplinary Service would handle misconduct cases, and a Grievance Desk would be established in every ministry to address service failures.

In a separate development, the Ministry of Housing and Lands has begun reclassifying a 6,331 square meter strip of State land at Palmar as public beach. The move aims to increase public access to beaches, which has been shrinking due to hotel development and fencing. The plot is located within the Pas Geometriques, a coastal reserve intended for public use.

Mauritius Telecom has launched a new platform, myt Learning Hub, which offers 16 free courses on digital and AI skills. The platform, built in partnership with Amazon's cloud arm AWS, aims to provide 50,000 people with AI skills within a year. The courses are designed to help individuals develop skills in areas such as artificial intelligence, data science, and cloud computing.

The government of Mauritius has also signed a memorandum with India to develop a multi-hazard mobile warning system. The system would send alerts to mobile phones before a cyclone, flood, or tsunami reaches the island. The move comes after criticism of the government's response to flooding last summer.

In other news, a gunman killed at least five people and wounded twelve in Krakow's main square on Friday. The gunman, who was arrested at the scene, opened fire from a car in the historic heart of the Polish city. Investigators have not yet determined a motive for the attack. Meanwhile, Somalia's Supreme Court has thrown out the extension of the president's term as unlawful, leading to a political crisis in the country.

Key points

• The proposed two-hour daily social media limit for teenagers in Mauritius aims to address online harassment and cyberbullying.
• The government of Mauritius is also working on a Public Sector Reforms Bill to reduce administrative delays and set enforceable service standards.
• Mauritius Telecom has launched a new platform to provide 50,000 people with AI skills within a year.