- The Gabonese media regulator (HAC) has announced an immediate nationwide suspension of social media.
- Authorities cited the spread of “hateful, defamatory, and insulting” content as the reason for the blackout.
- The move comes amid rising social unrest and strikes by teachers and civil servants across the country.
The government of Gabon has plunged the nation into a digital blackout after announcing the indefinite suspension of all social media platforms.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the High Authority for Communication (HAC) issued the directive on Tuesday evening, February 17, 2026, citing a rise in content that threatens “national security, public morality, and social cohesion.”
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According to a televised statement by HAC spokesperson Jean-Claude Mendome, the suspension was necessitated by the “recurrent dissemination of defamatory and insulting” posts, as well as the propagation of false information likely to disturb public order.
While the regulator did not list specific platforms, journalists in Libreville have confirmed that Facebook, TikTok, and WhatsApp have become inaccessible or severely disrupted as of Wednesday morning.
The suspension coincides with a period of intense social tension for the administration of President Brice Oligui Nguema. The country is currently grappling with a widespread strike by school teachers that began in December 2025 over pay and working conditions.
The unrest has since spread to the health, higher education, and broadcasting sectors, with many activists using digital platforms to mobilize protests and document the government’s response.
Human rights groups and opposition leaders have condemned the move, describing it as a “digital curfew” aimed at silencing dissent.
Critics argue that the ban disproportionately affects small businesses and young entrepreneurs who rely on social media for their livelihoods.
Despite the blackout, the HAC maintains that “freedom of expression remains a fundamental right in Gabon,” though it emphasized that such freedoms must be exercised within the bounds of the law.
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