Gabon restores social media access after an eight-month ban
Gabon has restored access to social media platforms after an eight-month ban imposed by the government to curb social unrest. Users are now required to provide formal identification to access these platforms, effectively ending online anonymity in the country.
Why it matters
The move highlights the ongoing tension between digital freedom and state control in post-coup African nations, raising concerns about surveillance and the suppression of political dissent.
Gabon’s media regulator said access to social media was restored on Saturday after an eight-month suspension that sparked widespread criticism.
The High Communication Authority (HAC) pulled the plug on social networks on 17 February blaming content posted online for stoking conflict and division in society.
The crackdown came as Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema faced a wave of social unrest less than a year after his election.
Facebook and TikTok, the most-used platforms in the country, as well as YouTube and Instagram were shut down, while WhatsApp worked intermittently.
Some people still managed to access social networks via a virtual private network (VPN), a secure, encrypted tunnel that hides your IP address and protects your internet traffic.
Provider Proton reporting a 60,000 per cent increase in downloads of its VPN tool the day after the ban came into force.
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