Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, we are all fully aware of the potential danger and threat targeting our children with regard to online exploitation, harm and abuse. Protection of children is my primary concern and hence, I have given instructions that this matter be dealt with utmost seriousness at the level of my Ministry. I wish to inform the House that there have been quite a number of cases which have been referred to my Ministry and to me personally. Subsequently, relevant files have been compiled for follow-up, among which, a full-fledged document on a case of sharing of indecent photos and videos of women and girls on an application called Telegram. These cases have been referred for in-depth investigations to the police with whom my Ministry works in close collaboration to tackle cases of abuse against children of the Republic. I wish to point out that on Thursday 10 April 2025, my colleagues, the Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation; Minister of Tertiary Education, Science and Research; Minister of Education and Human Resource and myself, launched a draft report for public consultations. The report focuses on enhancing children online safety in the social media era with a view to improving the protection of children and young people in the digital space. Parents, educators, young people, NGOs and civil society were invited to participate in the consultation process and share their input and recommendations. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, as regards part (a) of the question, as Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, I am well aware of the negative impact of the digital environment on families. In order to address this situation, my Ministry is currently finalising a national policy paper on the family, in which there is a component on ICT use. I also wish to inform the House that with a view to raising understanding on the underlying threats and consequences of the misuse of social media and to empower families on the negative impact of the digital environment, my Ministry, in collaboration with the Cybercrime Unit, the Central Criminal Investigation Department and the Trafficking in Person of the Mauritius Police Force, will be conducting a two-days’ workshop on 5 and 6 June 2025 where the main

64 focus will be on teenagers, cybercrime and family wellbeing. It is also envisaged to carry out ongoing campaigns on adolescence and cybercrime at community level. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, with regard to part (b) of the question, my Ministry has in place a hotline: 113, which is operational to provide 24-hour free services for the report of any form of violence against children. Alternatively, I am also informed that there is a dedicated online reporting system in place for the report of online abusers called Mauritian Cybercrime Online Reporting System (MAUCORS+), which is under the purview of the Ministry of IT, Communication and Innovation. The system is managed by the Computer Emergency Response Team of Mauritius (CERT-MU). It is a centralised system which connects the CERT-MU, the Cybercrime Unit of the Mauritius Police Force, the Data Protection Office and the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA). I believe that online threats and dangers facing children are not only a national issue but also an international one. This requires a multipronged approach and the possibility of amending and strengthening relevant legislation is being explored. In this respect, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I will invite hon. Members to submit any suggestion that will further reinforce the protection of our children online. Thank you.

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