Gabon orders nationwide social media shutdown amid rising unrest
Gabon’s media regulator has declared an indefinite suspension of social media platforms, arguing that online activity has intensified tensions and widened divisions across the country.
In a televised address on Tuesday, the High Authority for Communication (HAC) attributed the decision to the circulation of false information, incidents of cyberbullying, and the unlawful release of personal data. Spokesperson Jean-Claude Mendome did not name the specific platforms affected, though widely used apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and TikTok are popular in the country.
Gabon is governed by General Brice Oligui Nguema, who secured victory in last year’s presidential election after seizing power in a 2023 military coup. The 50-year-old leader is currently confronting mounting social unrest, as teachers and other public sector workers strike over salaries and working conditions.
Although social media remained accessible on Wednesday morning, a shutdown is anticipated shortly. The announcement has stunned the Central African nation of roughly 2.5 million people, where young people in particular rely heavily on social platforms for both commercial and social engagement.
A restaurant owner in the capital, Libreville, speaking anonymously to the BBC, said the ban would significantly hurt his business, as a large share of his customers discover the restaurant through online promotions and reviews. Without social media, he fears losing the ability to attract new clients and showcase feedback and photos. He lamented that the country risks moving backwards instead of progressing with global development.
In contrast, a taxi driver appeared unfazed, suggesting that authorities must have had strong reasons for taking such action.
Nguema won the 2025 election with more than 90% of the vote, two years after his coup ended over five decades of rule by the Bongo family. At the time, he pledged to reform Gabon, an oil- and timber-rich nation where previous governments frequently imposed internet blackouts to manage information flows. During the election, foreign and independent media were permitted for the first time to film the vote-counting process.
According to the regulator, the suspension follows repeated instances of inappropriate, defamatory, hateful, and insulting content circulating online—material it says threatens human dignity, social cohesion, institutional stability, and national security. Such content, Mendome warned, could incite social unrest and undermine unity, democratic development, and national achievements.
He nevertheless emphasised that freedom of expression, including the right to comment and criticise, remains a constitutional guarantee in Gabon.
Teachers first embarked on strike action in December over pay and conditions, with similar protests spreading to other sectors, including health and education.
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