The Central African nation of Gabon has suspended access to Facebook and TikTok “until further notice.” This decision follows the country’s media regulator’s accusation that these platforms are spreading content that could incite conflict and create societal divisions.
According to reports, both social media sites were no longer operational in Gabon as of Wednesday. It remains unclear whether other online platforms are still accessible.
On Tuesday, Gabon’s media authority announced the suspension, highlighting the potential for “conflict-inducing excesses.” However, specific platforms affected by the ban were not explicitly mentioned.
This move follows a period of social unrest characterised by strikes among teachers and threats of walkouts by other civil servants, which occurred less than a year after President Brice Oligui Nguema took office.
The teachers’ strike, which began in December over issues related to pay and working conditions, has since sparked protests across various public sectors, including healthcare, higher education, and broadcasting.
The spokesperson for the High Authority for Communication, Jean-Claude Mendome, declared in a televised statement that the authority has imposed an “immediate suspension of social media platforms in Gabon.” He noted that the proliferation of “inappropriate, defamatory, hateful, and insulting content” poses a danger to “human dignity, public morality, the honour of citizens, social cohesion, the stability of the republic’s institutions, and national security.”
Mendome also mentioned concerns regarding “the spread of false information,” “cyberbullying,” and the “unauthorised disclosure of personal data” as underlying reasons for the decision.
While he acknowledged that freedom of expression is a right in Gabon, he emphasised that it must be exercised in accordance with existing national and international laws. He warned that such unchecked actions could lead to social conflict, undermine the republic’s institutions, and seriously threaten national unity and democratic progress.
In August 2023, Gabon experienced a military coup that ousted President Ali Bongo Ondimba. This event is part of a broader trend of military takeovers in West Africa, including recent coups in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
Additionally, in November 2023, Mali’s media regulator suspended French news channels LCI and TF1, accusing them of broadcasting false reports regarding a fuel blockade imposed by an armed group linked to al-Qaeda.
