Gabon’s media regulator has ordered the suspension of social media platforms “until further notice,” citing concerns that online activity is fuelling division and unrest in the country.
In a televised address on Tuesday evening, the High Authority for Communication (HAC) said the decision was prompted by the “spread of false information”, “cyberbullying” and the “unauthorised disclosure of personal data”.
Spokesperson Jean-Claude Mendome did not name the platforms affected, but widely used services such as WhatsApp, Facebook and TikTok are among the most popular in the Central African nation.
Growing Social Unrest
Gabon is led by President Brice Oligui Nguema, who secured victory in last year’s presidential election after seizing power in a 2023 military coup that ended more than five decades of rule by the Bongo family.
The 50-year-old leader is now facing mounting social pressure, with teachers and other civil servants staging strikes over salaries and working conditions since December. Protests have gradually spread across sectors including health and education.
By Wednesday morning, reports indicated partial disruptions to some platforms. According to AFP, several users were unable to access Facebook and TikTok.
Public Reaction Mixed
The announcement has unsettled many in the country of roughly 2.5 million people, particularly young entrepreneurs who rely heavily on digital platforms for business.
A restaurant owner in the capital, Libreville, speaking anonymously to the BBC, warned the move would significantly hurt his operations.
“Almost 40% of my customers decided to order or come to the restaurant after seeing our advertising on social media… I won’t be able to catch new customers, because clients are attracted by what they are seeing, reviews from friends, pictures,” he said.
“We are entering a phase where we don’t even know if we are moving forward with global development or if we are sliding backward into total underdevelopment.”
Others appeared less concerned. A taxi driver told the BBC:
“There’s no smoke without fire.
“For the authorities to take such a decision, something must have certainly prompted it.”
Government Justification
The media regulator said the suspension was necessary due to what it described as the repeated circulation of ” inappropriate, defamatory, hateful, and insulting content that undermines human dignity, social cohesion, the stability of the republic’s institutions, and national security”.
Such material, Mendome argued, could “generate social conflict” and “seriously jeopardise national unity, democratic progress, and achievements”.
He added, however, that “freedom of expression, including freedom of comment and criticism,” remains “a fundamental right enshrined in Gabon”.
A Shift in Digital Policy?
During last year’s election, foreign and independent media were permitted to film the ballot count for the first time — a move seen as a break from previous administrations, which frequently imposed internet blackouts during periods of political tension.
Nguema had pledged reforms in the oil- and timber-rich nation, but the latest suspension signals renewed concerns over digital freedoms as the government grapples with rising unrest.
For now, Gabonese citizens and businesses are left waiting for clarity on when — or if — full access to social media will be restored.
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