Gabon Suspends Social Media Use until Further Notice

Gabon’s media regulator has announced the suspension of social media platforms until further notice, citing concerns that online content is fueling social tensions.

The decision was announced in a televised statement by Jean Claude Mendome, spokesperson for Gabon’s High Authority for Communication. He confirmed that the regulator had imposed the “immediate suspension of social media platforms in Gabon.”

Mendome said that “inappropriate, defamatory, hateful and offensive content” circulating online undermines “human dignity, public morality, citizens’ honor, social cohesion, the stability of republican institutions, and national security.”

He also pointed to the spread of false information, cyberbullying, and the unauthorized disclosure of personal data as key reasons behind the decision.

The regulatory authority did not specify which social media platforms would be affected by the suspension.

However, it stressed that freedom of expression, including the right to comment and criticize, remains a fundamental right guaranteed in Gabon.

Move Comes Amid Social Unrest

The suspension comes as President Brice Oligui Nguema faces the first wave of social unrest since taking office last year.

Teachers have been on strike since December over wages and working conditions, with protests spreading to other public sectors, including healthcare, higher education, and broadcasting.

Authorities warned that unchecked online activity could generate further social conflict, destabilize state institutions, and seriously endanger national unity and democratic progress.