Gabon suspends social media nationwide over security concerns 📵🇬🇦

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Gabon’s Haute Autorité de la Communication (HAC) has ordered the immediate suspension of all social media platforms nationwide following a plenary session held on February 17, 2026. The regulator says the move is a response to a surge in online content it deems harmful to social cohesion and national security.

A response to repeated abuses ⚖️📲

According to the HAC, authorities have observed a spike in “defamatory, hateful and insulting” content circulating on platforms accessible within Gabon. The agency argues that such posts undermine individual dignity and damage the reputation of citizens. More broadly, it claims the stability of state institutions has also been affected.

The regulator maintains that these practices constitute a clear violation of Law No. 019/2016 of August 9, 2016 — Gabon’s Communications Code. It also cites breaches of international standards governing digital communication. In the HAC’s view, suspending social media is a proportionate response to offenses it describes as “severely punishable” under existing legislation.

Defamation, fake news and personal data in the crosshairs 📰🔍

In detailing its decision, the HAC points to several trends it says have intensified in recent months: defamatory attacks targeting public figures and institutions, and the spread of misinformation likely to disrupt public order.

The authority also condemns the unauthorized disclosure of personal data, calling it a serious violation of citizens’ rights. It further criticizes what it describes as the “indifference” of major global platforms, arguing that they have failed to take sufficient action to moderate unlawful content. The regulator insists it is acting strictly within its legal mandate.

A measure framed as institutional protection 🏛️⚠️

While freedom of expression is recognized as a fundamental right in Gabon, the HAC stresses that it cannot override national and international law. According to the regulator, the content in question risks fueling social tensions and destabilizing republican institutions.

Chaired by Germain Ngoyo Moussavou, the authority has therefore enacted a blanket suspension of social media “until further notice.” No timeline has been provided for when — or under what conditions — access might be restored.

Regulation versus digital freedoms 🌐🗣️

The decision has reignited a sensitive debate in Gabon. Social media platforms have become central not only to public discourse and civic engagement, but also to economic activity. Their suspension is likely to affect online media outlets, entrepreneurs, content creators, and small businesses that rely heavily on digital tools.

Beyond the security rationale put forward by regulators, the broader question is how to balance the fight against online harms with the protection of civil liberties. Gabon now finds itself navigating a familiar global tension: how to regulate digital platforms without undermining digital freedoms.

Until further clarity emerges on the scope and duration of the measure, the country enters an unprecedented phase of digital restriction — one whose political, social, and economic consequences remain uncertain.

👉🏾 Do you think that suspending social media is a necessary measure to preserve stability or an excessive infringement on digital freedoms?