Deadline extended
Yesterday marked a significant victory in the legal standoff over mandatory SIM card re-registration. Chief Justice Rehana Mungly-Gulbul ruled in favor of maintaining the status quo, thereby prohibiting the state from deactivating SIM cards of subscribers who haven't complied with the April 30th deadline. As the deadline approaches, telecommunications operators are stepping up efforts to urge their customers to comply with the regulations. Calls, messages, and even special offers are being deployed to encourage reluctant individuals to take action.
As a reminder, since last October, Mauritians, residents, and tourists in Mauritius have been required to register their SIM cards in accordance with the new regulations of the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA). These measures were implemented to ensure that each SIM card is registered in the name of its user, to strengthen the fight against fraud, identity theft, and malicious activities. However, this re-registration process has sparked considerable debate since last year. Activists particularly denounce the lack of transparency from the government, and the need to disclose sensitive information to operators, which they see as a risk to privacy.
