Gabon says social media access restored after eight-month ban

Gabon has lifted an eight-month suspension of social media, its media regulator announced, ending restrictions that drew criticism from opposition figures and disrupted access to widely used platforms. The High Communication Authority, known as the HAC, announced the decision in a televised statement on Saturday.

The suspension began on February 17, with authorities arguing that material circulating online was fuelling conflict and deepening social divisions. Opposition figures rejected that justification and described the measure as an abuse of power, placing control of online communication at the centre of a broader political dispute.

Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram were among the platforms affected, while access to WhatsApp was intermittent, according to AFP. The BBC reported that the services are particularly popular among younger people in the central African country, who use them for business as well as entertainment.

The restrictions did not entirely prevent access. Many residents turned to virtual private networks, or VPNs, to reach blocked services, the BBC reported. Their use meant the suspension created an additional barrier to participation rather than completely removing social media from daily life.

The ban was introduced as President Brice Oligui Nguema faced social unrest less than a year after his election. Teachers and civil servants had staged strikes over complaints about pay and working conditions, according to the BBC. That timing formed an important part of the political backdrop to the restrictions.

Nguema came to power through a coup in 2023 that ended more than five decades of Bongo family rule, before subsequently winning a presidential election. His promises of reform provided a contrasting backdrop to the suspension. Previous governments had also used digital blackouts to control information, the BBC reported.

Restoring access does not mean the authorities are abandoning oversight of online activity. According to AFP, the HAC said the suspension had allowed time for changes to the legal framework governing social media. The agency also reported that the government now requires users to provide formal identification, a measure with implications for online anonymity.

The regulator said it was working with Meta, TikTok and YouTube to improve content moderation, AFP reported. These statements indicate that the lifting of the platform-wide suspension is being accompanied by a more regulated approach, rather than a withdrawal from monitoring the online environment.

For users, the immediate significance is renewed access to familiar channels for communication, entertainment and commercial activity. For the authorities and their critics, the underlying disagreement remains distinct from whether the platforms are available: it concerns how far the state should go in restricting online expression.

The next phase will centre on how the identification requirements and platform cooperation described by the regulator operate in practice. The BBC said it had approached the HAC for comment. Further clarification would help establish the conditions governing access after the prolonged suspension.