General Social Media Blackout in Gabon
Gabonese citizens woke up this Tuesday to a country cut off from the digital world. The Haute Autorité de la Communication (HAC) ordered the immediate suspension of all social media platforms nationwide. Facebook, X, WhatsApp, and Instagram are now inaccessible, leaving the population in a state of shock.
Meeting in an emergency session under the chairmanship of Germain Ngoyo Moussavou, the regulatory body justified this drastic measure as necessary to curb “digital abuses,” including defamation, cyberbullying, and the spread of false information threatening social cohesion. The official statement cited the need to preserve public order, but provided no timeline for a possible return to normal.
In the streets of Libreville, confusion prevails. Many are questioning the real reasons behind this decision, taken outside of any electoral context or major crisis.
The digital blackout brings back painful memories: in August 2023 during the presidential election, as well as in 2016 and 2019, the country experienced similar shutdowns aimed at containing tensions. Cut off from their daily connections, Gabonese citizens are holding their breath.