Assembly passes Cybersecurity Law

Maputo, 17 Apr (AIM) – Mozambique’s parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, on Thursday passed a new Cybersecurity Law, which is intended to “strengthen the protection of citizens, institutions, and the State in the digital sphere.”

According to Américo Muchanga, Minister of Communications and Digital Transformation, speaking during the presentation of the bill in the Assembly, the law is aimed at guaranteeing the security of information networks and systems, as well as to prevent and combat cybercrime.

The minister explained that among the crimes covered are computer forgery, computer fraud, abuse of electronic payment methods, telecommunications fraud, illicit recordings, unauthorized access, and violation of correspondence.

“The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has been accompanied by a significant increase in cyber threats. The increased dependence on ICTs also brings an exponential growth in cyber risks and incidents,” he said.

Muchanga believes that the law will ensure digital sovereignty, strengthen risk prevention and management, promote transparency and accountability, and encourage institutional and international cooperation.

The government had already approved new regulations on telecommunications, claiming that they are aimed against cybercrime.

Nonetheless, the regulations have been strongly criticized by civil society bodies because they could allow the authorities to shut down the Internet on spurious grounds of “national security”.

The country’s Ombudsman, Isaque Chande, submitted to the Constitutional Council (CC), the country’s highest body in matters of constitutional and electoral law, a request for a declaration that the government’s regulations are unconstitutional.

The leader of the National Alliance for a Free and Autonomous Mozambique (Anamola), former presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane, also called the government decree illegal and unconstitutional, arguing that it jeopardizes the democratic rule of law. Mondlane also submitted a request to the CC for a declaration that the government’s regulations are unconstitutional.
(AIM)
Ac/ad/pf (298)