Social media platforms in Gabon have been suspended until further notice, according to the country’s media regulator. In a televised statement on Tuesday evening, the High Authority for Communication said the move was prompted by the spread of false information, cyberbullying and the unauthorised disclosure of personal data.
The regulator’s spokesperson, Jean-Claude Mendome, did not specify which platforms would be affected, though services such as WhatsApp, Facebook and TikTok are widely used in the country. Social media remained accessible on Wednesday morning, but a shutdown is expected.
Gabon is currently under the leadership of President Brice Oligui Nguema, who took power in a 2023 military coup and won last year’s presidential election with more than 90 percent of the vote. His government is facing growing social unrest, including strikes by teachers and other public sector workers over pay and conditions.
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The media regulator said certain online content was defamatory, hateful and harmful to national unity and security, but added that freedom of expression remains a fundamental right under Gabonese law.
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