Faisal alleges media control bill aims to silence political voices and restrict social media
Faisal claims the media control bill aims to suppress journalism and restrict political expression
Former Deputy Ambassador of the Maldives to the UAE, Mohamed Faisal.
Former Deputy Ambassador of the Maldives to the UAE, Mohamed Faisal, has alleged that the proposed Media Control Bill, currently before the People’s Majlis, is a strategic attempt by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's administration to suppress journalism and restrict political expression on social media platforms.
In a post published on social media platform ‘X’ on Saturday night, Faisal claimed that the bill is part of a calculated effort to block social media accounts, particularly those on ‘X’, belonging to political figures, activists, and opposition entities.
He further revealed that he has received information indicating that, if the bill passes, the government plans to collaborate with a U.S.-based law firm to geo-block targeted X accounts, making them inaccessible within the Maldives. Faisal warned that this strategy could later be extended to other major platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.
Referencing Articles 27 and 28 of the Maldivian Constitution, which protect freedom of expression and press freedom, Faisal stressed that this is not a media reform bill, but a dangerous piece of legislation that violates both the spirit and the letter of the Constitution.
Legal experts, he noted, believe that such geo-targeted censorship is neither legally viable nor compatible with democratic principles. Faisal also pointed out that Maldivian users represent a tiny fraction of global users, around 200,000 accounts on ‘X’, less than 0.01 percent of the platform's total user base, making it unlikely that major platforms would comply with such localized restrictions.
The proposed bill has drawn strong criticism from across the civil society landscape. The Maldives Media Council, Maldives Journalists Association, and the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM), along with more than 20 local and international organizations, have publicly called for the bill’s immediate withdrawal. In addition to this, 151 journalists from 41 media outlets have signed and submitted a formal petition to the People’s Majlis opposing the legislation.
Critics argue that the bill poses a serious threat to democratic freedoms and could pave the way for state-led censorship in both traditional and digital media spaces.
The government has yet to respond officially to the allegations or the growing opposition to the bill.
