Internet & Online Safety · Mali
Online safety & content laws in Mali (2026)
Mali shaded by its internet & online safety status
Mali's internet and online environment is governed by a 2019 cybercrime law that has been systematically used by the military junta to prosecute journalists, activists, and critics online. The junta has ordered internet shutdowns in conflict zones, restricted social media during protests, and banned numerous foreign media outlets, creating a climate of heavy state restriction rather than a rights-protective online safety framework. A newly adopted National Cybersecurity Strategy 2026–2030 focuses on infrastructure protection rather than platform accountability or user safety.
Key points
Law No. 2019-056 of 5 December 2019 criminalises unauthorised system access, data interference, and online 'threats' or 'insults' (Arts. 20–21), with penalties of 6 months–10 years imprisonment. Vague content provisions have been used to jail journalists, humorists, and political figures.
The cybercrime law has been invoked to arrest journalists and political critics; Human Rights Watch documented a pattern of prosecutions targeting online speech critical of the junta as of January 2026, with individuals jailed for social media posts and opinion articles.
The Malian government ordered a full internet shutdown in Boni and surrounding areas to disrupt jihadist communications, cutting off civilians for extended periods. Social media was also partially blocked during the 2020 anti-government protests per NetBlocks monitoring.
The HAC has banned at least six French-language broadcast outlets since 2022, including RFI, France 24, TV5 Monde, France 2, LCI, and TF1. TV5 was suspended in May 2025 for coverage of anti-junta protests deemed 'biased' toward the armed forces.
Approved by the Council of Ministers on 5 December 2025, the strategy focuses on protecting critical infrastructure, standardising security protocols, and improving incident response. It does not establish platform content-moderation obligations or user-facing online safety rules.
Mali has no DSA-equivalent platform liability framework, no mandatory age-verification rules for online services, and no independent online safety regulator. The Council of Europe Octopus profile confirms Mali has not acceded to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime.
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Last verified 5/25/2026 · Orientation, not legal advice - verify against the primary sources linked above. Explore the full world map →