This morning, the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-MU) issued a communiqué following the Telegram scandal. It addressed “the sharing of inappropriate content including nudity on the Telegram App. Several groups on Telegram have been created and are targeting Mauritian girls and women by accessing their private images and sharing it without their consent on the respective groups.” In the statement, they also advise the population not to save, upload or share intimate content on any platforms.
While Mauritius Cybercrime (MAUCORS) has been receiving many complaints, no arrest has yet happened. The identity of the people who created those groups is unknown. Moreover, a Facebook page, which tried to reveal the identity of the members yesterday, have been deactivated, leaving many internet users perplexed.
Many people, men and women inclusive, are showing support to the victims. They are being encouraged to come forward and expose the people who shared their pictures without their consent. Most of those group have been blocked by now, but numerous similar groups are still active, not only on Telegram but on other social media platforms as well. Women continue to fall victims to image-based sexual assaults, and the authorities are not acting fast enough to give them justice.
