President Dr Mohamed Muizzu ratified the Sixth Amendment to the Penal Code of Maldives (Law No. 9/2014) today, following its passage by the Parliament during the 58th sitting of the 20th Majlis on Monday, December 9, 2024.
This Amendment seeks to formally recognise cybercrime within the legal framework and to categorise the following activities as offenses of a cyber nature:
- Unauthorised access to computer systems
- Accessing unauthorised computer systems with the intention of committing a crime
- Intercepting unauthorised data on computer systems
- Interfering with unauthorised computer systems
- Misuse of computer systems or similar devices
- Acts of cyber violence
- Computer-related forgeries
- Acts of fraud and misrepresentation related to computer systems
- Infringement on copyright and associated rights
Following its ratification, the Amendment has been published in the Government Gazette and will come into effect accordingly.