Maldives - September 2025

On 18 September, President Mohammed Muizzu ratified the recently passed Media and Broadcasting Regulation Bill, which replaces two previous media regulatory bodies with a new commission. The bill aims to streamline media regulation and seeks to curb disinformation and defamation concerns. The commission will consist of seven members: three (including the chairperson) appointed by the President and four elected by media representatives. The commission will be granted extensive powers, including the ability to block news websites, suspend media outlets’ registrations, issue fines to journalists and criminalize vague offences such as spreading fake news. Press advocates and civil society organizations have criticized the haste and limited public consultation that preceded the bill’s introduction through protests, arguing that it undermines press freedom and grants the executive excessive control. The bill is currently being challenged before the Supreme Court.  

Sources: Human Rights Watch, Raajje.mv, Maldives Independent, International Federation of Journalists