Gabon suspends social media indefinitely amid rising unrest

Gabon has joined the growing list of African countries deploying digital infrastructure as a tool to suppress civil unrest, after the High Authority for Communication (HAC), the country’s media regulator, announced an indefinite suspension of social media platforms.

In a televised statement on Tuesday, the regulator’s spokesperson, Jean-Claude Mendome, said the  suspension was  necessary to counter  the “spread of false information,” “cyberbullying,” and the “unauthorised disclosure of personal data.” 

He added that what the regulator described as inappropriate and hateful content had contributed to the erosion of national security and human dignity.

The directive takes “immediate effect” and will remain  in force “until further notice.” The BBC reported partial disruptions to some social media platforms. 

The HAC did not specify the affected platforms, nor did it clarify whether the suspension applies broadly or targets specific services.

The decision comes amid rising social tensions, less than a year after President Brice Oligui Nguema was elected. In December 2025, teachers across  Gabon began strike action over pay and working conditions. Since then, unrest has spread, with workers in the health and broadcasting sectors threatening similar action. 

While the regulator framed the suspension as a response to harmful online behaviour, its timing coincides with growing public dissatisfaction over the cost of living and labour conditions.

Gabon’s move reflects a broader pattern across the continent. African governments have repeatedly blocked or suspended social media services, particularly during elections and periods of protests. 

In October 2025, Tanzania restricted Internet access nationwide during general  elections, following an earlier restriction of X in May 2025 over what officials described as “moral concerns.” 

In 2021,  Nigeria suspended Twitter (now X) for seven months after the platform removed a post by the sitting president, Muhammadu Buhari (now late), while Uganda disrupted access to Facebook and other platforms around its general elections the same year.

Digital rights groups, alongside organisations such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), have warned that Internet shutdowns and platform suspension carry significant consequences, including restrictions on expression, access to information, and economic activity.  

Despite these concerns,  Gabon’s regulator insisted that freedom of expression, including the right to comment and criticise, remains a fundamental right protected under national law.