MADAGASCAR MOVES TO STRENGTHEN DEFENSES AGAINST RISING DIGITAL CRIME
Twelve years after Madagascar last updated its core cybercrime law, the country’s citizens face a digital landscape that barely resembles the one that 2014 legislation was designed to protect. Smartphones, digital banking and online government services have become part of everyday life, and so have the fraud, identity theft and system attacks that follow them. Parliament is now being asked to close that gap.
On Friday, August 28, the Madagascar government submitted two legislative proposals to the National Assembly. The first, Bill No. 042/2026, would modernize the country’s laws against cybercriminal activity. The second would authorize Madagascar to ratify the United Nations Convention Against Cybercrime, a multilateral treaty designed to coordinate international responses to digital threats. Both texts are in parliamentary review.
The stakes for ordinary Malagasy citizens are direct. The existing framework still relies partly on a 2014 law that addressed fraudulent access to computer systems and data breaches. Over the past twelve years, the explosive growth of smartphones, digital financial services and online platforms has dramatically expanded the surfaces vulnerable to attack. The updated law addresses this reality by establishing stronger penalties for crimes including attacks on computer systems, online fraud and identity theft. Proposed sentences range from two to ten years in prison, with fines between 100,000 and 100 million ariary (approximately 23 to 23,000 dollars) depending on the offense.
Beyond punishment, the bill creates an institutional response mechanism. A new Digital Protection and Investigation Unit, known as UPIN, would be established to detect threats, support criminal investigations and coordinate with foreign authorities. This matters because perpetrators, victims, servers and digital evidence often span multiple countries, making investigations impossible without cross-border cooperation. Citizens who fall victim to online fraud need an authority capable of following the evidence wherever it leads.
Meanwhile, Madagascar’s decision to pursue ratification of the UN Convention Against Cybercrime reflects precisely that cross-border reality. Adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2024 and opened for signature in Hanoi in October 2025, the convention aims to strengthen international cooperation in investigations and the exchange of electronic evidence. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 72 states had signed the convention by October 2025, including 21 African nations such as Algeria, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Togo. Signature commits a country to eventual ratification, though each nation must complete its own domestic procedures before becoming a formal party to the treaty.
The timing of these two legislative initiatives reflects a deliberate strategy. By advancing both national legal reform and international treaty participation at the same time, Madagascar is positioning itself to address threats that respect no borders. As administrative, financial and commercial services continue their migration to digital platforms, effective protection for citizens requires both robust domestic law and seamless cooperation with international partners.
What this means in practice is that Malagasy residents who bank, pay bills or interact with government online would have stronger legal recourse when things go wrong, and a dedicated unit with the mandate and tools to pursue those responsible. The legal reforms now before parliament represent an attempt to make that protection real. Whether UPIN receives the resources it needs to function effectively will be the question that follows ratification.
For more information on Madagascar’s digital security updates, see https://www.wearetech.africa/fr/fils/actualites/tech/madagascar-actualise-son-arsenal-face-a-la-montee-des-risques-numeriques.