Gabon lifts eight-month social media ban with new user ID rules
Gabon restored access to major social media platforms on October 24 after an eight-month ban imposed in February amid social unrest. The government now requires users to provide formal identification, ending online anonymity, and is collaborating with platforms like Meta and TikTok to enhance content moderation.
Brève Publié le (Africa/Lagos, UTC+1) · date de l'événement : 2026-10-24
Gabon lifted its eight-month suspension of social media access on October 24, according to the country’s media regulator, the High Communication Authority (HAC).
The ban, which began on February 17, was initially justified by the government as a measure to curb content online that allegedly fueled societal conflict and division during a period of social unrest following President Brice Oligui Nguema’s election.
During the ban, platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram were blocked, while WhatsApp access was intermittent. Some users circumvented the restrictions using virtual private networks (VPNs), with a reported 60,000% increase in VPN downloads immediately after the ban.
With the restoration of access, Gabon now requires social media users to provide formal identification, effectively ending online anonymity. The HAC stated it is working with major platforms including Meta (Facebook and Instagram), TikTok, and YouTube to improve content moderation.
The ban had drawn widespread criticism from opposition parties and activists who viewed it as an abuse of power amid a repressive political climate following the 2023 coup that ended decades of Bongo family rule. Legal challenges against the ban were rejected, and prominent critics such as former Prime Minister Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze have been imprisoned.