Cyber Threats: The Urgency of a Wake-Up Call Against Digital Violence

The press conference held this Wednesday at the Sicom Building in Ébène sheds light on the dangers that proliferate in the shadows of the internet. The figures presented by the Minister of Technology, Communication, and Innovation (TCI), Avinash Ramtohul, outline the contours of a digital crisis that is severely impacting Mauritians, especially the youth.

Since 2018, an impressive total of 19,188 cases of cybercrime have been recorded on the MAUCORS+ platform, a statistic made public by the TCI Minister during the press conference.

Among these offenses, online harassment stands out with 5,465 cases, closely followed by fraud (3,052) and hacking (3,840). These numbers are not merely statistics. “They illustrate an exponential rise in cyber violence in Mauritius, and above all, highlight the need to adapt our legal and technological framework to this new reality,” emphasizes the TCI Minister.

Children: The Primary Victims of Cyber Violence

Children are among the most affected by cybercrime, with around 1,323 cases of cyberbullying, 242 of cyber harassment, 652 of sextortion, and 2,023 of identity theft recorded.

During his speech, Minister of Education, Mahend Gungapersad, stressed the necessity of incorporating digital education from an early age. "Children grow up with digital tools, but they are not always trained to use them critically and safely. It is essential to establish digital literacy programs to raise awareness from primary school,” he explains. Parents, often overwhelmed by the complexity of new technologies, need support to identify warning signs before it’s too late.

AI for Moderation

The report on cybercrime recommends leveraging technology to enhance the fight against online abuse. Among the proposed solutions is the development of AI-powered automatic moderation software capable of detecting and blocking violent images, hate speech, and sexually explicit material in real-time, which is presented as imperative.

A Collective Response to Combat Cybercrime

In light of the concerning rise in cybercrime, several initiatives have been announced by the authorities. The Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, Arianne Navarre-Marie, has established a hotline, 139, allowing victims to report cybercrime incidents.

Additionally, the Minister of Higher Education, Kaviraj Sukon, emphasized the importance of strengthened cooperation between educational institutions and relevant authorities to better understand and combat these offenses.

The recommendations from the Child Online Safety Report align with this: enhancing content moderation, establishing strict regulations for age verification of users, and requiring platforms to promptly remove inappropriate content. The goal: to protect young internet users and ensure that the digital space is a safe and respectful environment.