Gabon has restored access to social media platforms after an eight-month suspension that triggered widespread criticism from opposition politicians, activists and internet users.
The country’s High Communication Authority (HAC) announced the restoration on Saturday, October 24, following a shutdown imposed on February 17 over concerns that online content was fuelling conflict and division in society.
The suspension affected major platforms, including Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, while WhatsApp remained intermittently accessible.
The ban was introduced amid growing social unrest under President Brice Oligui Nguema, who came to power following the country’s 2023 military coup and was elected president in 2025.
Despite the restrictions, some Gabonese users continued accessing social media through virtual private networks (VPNs), which encrypt internet traffic and help users bypass certain internet restrictions.
VPN provider Proton reportedly recorded a 60,000 per cent increase in downloads of its service the day after the ban took effect.
The HAC said the suspension was intended to give the government time to adapt its legal framework for regulating social media.
However, the authority indicated that access would come with new requirements, including formal identification for users, a measure that could effectively end online anonymity.
It also disclosed that it was working with Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, as well as TikTok and YouTube, to improve content moderation on the platforms.
The social media restrictions had drawn strong opposition from critics, who described the ban as an abuse of power. Several legal challenges were filed against the measure, but all were rejected.
Former Prime Minister Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze was among the prominent critics of the suspension. He has been in prison since April over allegations of abuse of trust and fraud relating to events dating back to 2008.
Activists have cited both the social media ban and Bilie-By-Nze’s arrest as evidence of an increasingly restrictive political climate under Nguema.
The 2023 coup that brought Nguema, a former military general, to power ended 55 years of rule by the Bongo family and initially raised hopes of democratic reforms.
The restoration of social media access marks a significant shift in the government’s approach to online communication, although the introduction of identification requirements and tighter content moderation could continue to raise concerns about privacy and freedom of expression.
