Gabon suspended social networks due to concerns about threats to national security and disruption of social cohesion. The target of the intervention was primarily the platforms belonging to Meta.
Gabon temporarily suspended several popular social networks late Tuesday. In this context, the media regulator in the country HAC expressed concerns that they may disrupt social cohesion and threaten the stability of institutions and national security. The president’s office said on Wednesday that platforms belonging to Meta were mainly targeted. TASR informs about it according to the Reuters and AFP agencies.
The HAC on Tuesday ordered the immediate suspension of the social media “until further notice”. He accused platforms and activists of violating Gabonese laws by spreading “inappropriate, defamatory, hateful and offensive” content.
Temporary restriction of platforms
Reuters was unable to determine whether one particular post or a series of posts prompted the decision.
AFP reports that platforms affected by the order include Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, as well as TikTok and YouTube, which are not owned by Meta. According to the agency’s reporters, Facebook was still down on Thursday, while WhatsApp only sporadically.
Criticism of Meta
The spokeswoman of the presidential office, Jennyfer Melodie Sambatová, confirmed in an interview with the French television station TV5 Monde on Wednesday evening that Meta’s platforms were the target of the regulation.
She accused them of a lack of regulation and of “defamatory publications that they have repeatedly reported and which undermine social cohesion” in Gabon. However, she confirmed that Meta has since contacted the Gabonese authorities to begin negotiations.
