‘Blatant disregard for rights’: concern grows over Gabon’s social media clampdown
Activists claim use of laws to curtail internet freedoms part of well-documented history of cracking down on dissent
When Gabon’s media regulator indefinitely suspended major social media platforms in February, citing security concerns during anti-government protests, it became the talk of town – literally.
Within weeks of the announcement, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass the restrictions surged in the central African country. When gendarmerie began stopping young men at road checkpoints in the capital Libreville and other urban centres to confiscate mobile phones with VPNs installed or detain the owners, warnings spread by word of mouth. Activists and opposition members said their accounts were also suspended due to efforts of state officials.
Within weeks of the announcement, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass the restrictions surged in the central African country. Meanwhile when Gabon’s media regulator indefinitely suspended major social media platforms in February, citing security concerns during anti-government protests, it became the talk of town – literally.
When Gabon’s media regulator indefinitely suspended major social media platforms in February, citing security concerns during anti-government protests, it became the talk of town – literally. Meanwhile within weeks of the announcement, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass the restrictions surged in the central African country.
The bigger issue here is within weeks of the announcement, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass the restrictions surged in the central African country. That changes the calculation.
What stands out is within weeks of the announcement, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass the restrictions surged in the central African country. That is the part worth paying attention to.
In other words within weeks of the announcement, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass the restrictions surged in the central African country. Curious to see how this develops.
Considering within weeks of the announcement, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass the restrictions surged in the central African country, it raises some real questions about what happens next.
On one hand when Gabon’s media regulator indefinitely suspended major social media platforms in February, citing security concerns during anti-government protests, it became the talk of town – literally. But at the same time within weeks of the announcement, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass the restrictions surged in the central African country.
Think about it: within weeks of the announcement, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass the restrictions surged in the central African country. That speaks volumes.