African digital rights advocacy group Paradigm Initiative (PIN) has condemned the social media suspension in Gabon, terming it a constitutional violation.
In a statement released on February 20, 2026, PIN called on the government to lift the ban, describing it as unfounded, inappropriate, and illegal.
This came a few days after Gabon’s Haute Autorité de la Communication (HAAC) announced a total, indefinite shutdown of all major social media platforms — including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, TikTok, X, and YouTube — on February 17.
The authority cited hateful, injurious, and defamatory content as posing a threat to national stability.
At a time when social media is emerging as a significant source of employment worldwide, this ban has dealt a severe economic blow to the population, according to rights advocates.
“Beyond civic space implications, the suspension carries severe economic consequences estimated at $2,960,568 — a Total Cost Impact of FCFA 1,781,414,598 — for a two-day shutdown of WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, based on the NetBlocks loss-per-day calculation tool,” PIN stated.
PIN described the ban as a grave violation of the people’s digital rights and the freedoms of speech and expression enshrined in Article 9 of Gabon’s constitution and in international charters to which the country is a signatory.
“As a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 19) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Article 9), Gabon is obligated to ensure that any restriction on expression meets the three-part test of legality, necessity, and proportionality,” the statement read.
PIN also criticised internet service providers and technology companies operating in the country for failing to ensure transparency as required by the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
The group noted that Gabon has a history of shutting down social media during periods of political unrest, which undermines transparency and accountability.
Accordingly, PIN is calling for the immediate restoration of full and unrestricted internet access across all affected platforms.
PIN has also demanded transparency from HAAC, “including publication of the legal basis and any relevant information on the envisaged order that affected internet access.”
Internet service providers are similarly being urged to issue transparency notices “detailing the government directives affecting internet access.”
In the meantime, some users have turned to virtual private networks (VPNs) to circumvent the blackout.
