Gabon's High Authority for Communication (HAC) has lifted the suspension of social media platforms imposed in February, ending a ban that lasted about eight months, the regulator said in a statement on Saturday 24 October.
The ban covered WhatsApp, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, according to published reports. Regulator spokesman Jean Claude Mendome said the decision followed direct talks with major international technology companies on improving platform moderation.
Why the ban was imposed and lifted
The regulator said at the time that online abuse, including defamatory, hateful, false and insulting content, undermined national security and social cohesion. Mendome said the suspension was meant to "allow the government to adapt its legal framework to better regulate social media".
A law passed in February requires social media users to provide verified names, addresses and ID numbers. The regulator urged users to be "more responsible and mature in their online exchanges and behaviors".
The ban was announced during anti-government protests over the high cost of living. General Brice Oligui Nguema took power in a 2023 coup that ended 55 years of Bongo family rule and won a presidential election in April.
Reaction to the ban
The ban drew widespread condemnation. Activists called it an attack on internet freedom, and critics included young people and businesses. The opposition called the suspension an abuse of power, according to published reports. Thousands of citizens reportedly used VPNs to get around the restriction.
