Overview
- President Mohamed Muizzu signed the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Regulation Act on Sept. 18 after a government majority passed it in a contentious vote.
- The law empowers a new regulator to levy fines of up to $1,620 on journalists and $6,485 on outlets, suspend licenses, block websites, and halt broadcasts during investigations.
- A seven-member commission replaces existing media regulators, with members subject to removal by Parliament in a structure critics say enables political control.
- The Maldives Journalists Association vowed not to comply and said it will petition the Supreme Court to dismantle the law.
- Rights groups and foreign missions, including CPJ, RSF, and the U.S. Embassy, condemned the measure, while the government says it targets disinformation and excludes private personal social-media accounts.