Mauritius Launches National Campaign to Promote Safe Social Media Use

The Mauritian government has initiated a national campaign to promote responsible social media use, amid a surge in cyber incidents and concerns over online harassment and misinformation. The campaign, launched by the Ministry of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation and the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA), aims to educate citizens about the risks associated with social media and provide them with the necessary tools to navigate online safely. The campaign comes as the country grapples with a significant increase in cyber incidents, with 5,754 reported cases since January.

The campaign is part of a broader effort to address the growing concern of online harassment and misinformation in Mauritius. According to the CERT-MU, the country's computer emergency response team, the number of reported cyber incidents has increased significantly, with 19 cases reported daily on average, compared to 16.6 cases per day last year. The majority of these cases involve online harassment, with 1,697 reported incidents, surpassing the total number of cases reported in 2025. Women, young people, and vulnerable individuals are disproportionately affected, particularly by the dissemination of private images without consent.

The Mauritian government has assured citizens that the campaign is not intended to censor social media or restrict freedom of speech. Instead, it aims to promote responsible online behavior and encourage citizens to report incidents of online harassment and misinformation. The campaign features a mascot, a doll representing a young girl, to raise awareness about the risks associated with social media. The government has also partnered with Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, to moderate online content and remove harmful posts.

As part of the campaign, the government has developed a series of educational materials, including videos, radio spots, and online resources, to help citizens identify and report online scams, harassment, and misinformation. The government has also established a team of Mauritian-speaking moderators to analyze reported content and determine whether it violates local laws and platform rules. The team will work closely with Meta to develop a system for prioritizing reports and removing harmful content.

The campaign also aims to strengthen cooperation between the government and social media platforms to address the spread of misinformation and online harassment. The government is working with Meta to establish a system for reporting and removing harmful content, particularly in cases involving threats, identity theft, and child exploitation. The government is also in discussions with TikTok, which is not part of the current agreement, to address concerns over the spread of hateful content on the platform.

The Mauritian government has acknowledged that the current laws and regulations governing online content are inadequate and has committed to amending the ICT Act and the Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Act to better address the challenges posed by social media. The government hopes to have the new laws and regulations in place within the next six months. The amendments will provide a framework for moderating online content and addressing online harassment and misinformation.

The national campaign to promote safe social media use is a critical step towards addressing the growing concerns over online harassment and misinformation in Mauritius. The government's efforts to educate citizens, partner with social media platforms, and strengthen laws and regulations are essential in creating a safer online environment. Key to the campaign's success will be the government's ability to work effectively with social media platforms, including TikTok, to address the spread of hateful content and online harassment.

Key points

• The Mauritian government has launched a national campaign to promote safe social media use, amid rising cyber incidents and concerns over online harassment and misinformation.