Gabon Banned Social Media for Eight Months. Its Regulator Just Turned It Back On.

The win: Gabon's High Communication Authority (HAC) announced on Saturday, in a televised statement, that it has lifted the nationwide ban on social media it imposed on February 17. Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram are back for a country of about 2.5 million people.

Why it matters:

• The excuse didn't hold up. The regulator claimed online content was "fuelling conflict." The ban landed as teachers and civil servants were striking over pay and working conditions, and the opposition called it an abuse of power.
• People routed around it. Many Gabonese used VPNs to stay online for eight months. Shutdowns hit ordinary people's businesses and families far more than any "disinformation."
• Pressure works. The ban drew wide criticism from the start. Now the government has reversed course.

The bigger picture: Internet blackouts are a standard authoritarian tool, and Gabon's earlier governments used them to control information. This time a government that promised reform ended one. Every shutdown that gets reversed makes the next one harder to justify.

Source: BBC News