The authorities in Gabon have suspended the use of social media over reports of growing security threats and the spread of harmful online contents in the country.
The country deemed the suspension unavoidable following lingering concerns over numerous passed false information, inflammatory messages and digital activities considered detrimental to the social cohesion and the security of state situation institutions terming it as a factor capable of undermining national stability and public order.
In a statement issued by the spokesperson of the High Authority for Communication, Jean-Claude Mendome, the decision followed the circulation of inappropriate, defamatory, hateful, and insulting content online, which he argued was eroding human dignity, public morality, the honour of citizens, social cohesion, the stability of the Republic’s institutions, and national security.
Mendome further cited cases of cyberbullying and the unauthorised disclosure of personal data as additional grounds for the suspension.
According to him, such activities pose significant risks against democratic progress and existing achievements.
The regulator, however, did not specify which social media platforms would be affected by the directive or how long the suspension would remain in place.
The authority emphasised that freedom of expression in comments.and criticisms remains a fundamental right guaranteed under Gabonese law, suggesting that the action was intended as a security measure rather than a permanent restriction on civil liberties.
