Why Gabon Temporarily Suspended Facebook and Other Social Media Platforms

Edited By: Aya Selene

Gabonese authorities have taken responsibility for the decision to suspend several social media platforms, including Facebook and TikTok, describing the move as temporary and aimed at regulating digital spaces and improving the quality of public debate.

Presidential spokesperson Théophane Zamie-Nze Biyoghe said the measure was not a permanent ban but a pause allowing the government to consider a legal framework for online platforms. Officials said the objective is to preserve social cohesion and ensure citizens have access to reliable information, rejecting claims that the decision is intended as censorship.

Authorities argued that social networks have increasingly become spaces for misinformation and “alternative narratives,” which they say can undermine public discourse. The suspension forms part of a broader strategy to reshape the country’s information environment.

The move comes as Gabon faces rising social protests since the start of the year. President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, who came to power after a 2023 coup and was elected last year, has been dealing with strikes in education, healthcare, higher education, and public media sectors, largely focused on wages and working conditions.

Despite the timing, the presidency insisted the suspension is not directly linked to the protests, noting that social tensions have recently eased.

In an effort to reduce dissatisfaction, the government announced a plan to resolve around 12,000 administrative cases this year, including 4,000 in the education sector, which employs roughly 27,000 workers.

Officials say the measures aim to end more than a decade of salary freezes in the public sector while acknowledging budget constraints that could limit rapid pay increases.

The temporary suspension of social media is therefore presented as part of a broader policy addressing governance, information management, and social stability.