Gabon’s media watchdog said on Tuesday that social media sites have been shut down “until further notice.”
“Defamatory, hateful, and insulting content” is fueling conflict and division in society, according to a representative for the High Authority for Communication.
He claimed that the “unauthorized disclosure of personal data,” “cyberbullying,” and “spread of false information” are undermining democratic advancement and upending governmental institutions.
The body hasn’t named any social media platforms that will be included in the ban. The regulator said “freedom of expression, including freedom of comment and criticism,” remain “a fundamental right enshrined in Gabon.”
President Brice Oligui Nguema is facing his first wave of social unrest since taking office last year.
Teachers have been striking since December over pay and conditions and protests have spread to other public sector, including health, higher education and broadcasting.
