‘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.
Basically within weeks of the announcement, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass the restrictions surged in the central African country. What matters is whether anything changes because of it.
So the bottom line is within weeks of the announcement, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass the restrictions surged in the central African country. Wonder how this will land.
So the bottom line is 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. Wonder how this will land.
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.
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.
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.
Still waiting to hear what Virtual Private actually plans to do about it.
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.
The detail about within weeks of the announcement, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass the restrictions surged in the central African country is something people should sit with.
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.