politics
Gabon Enacts Social Media ID Verification Rules, Suspends Platforms
Gabon’s media regulator suspended major platforms in February 2026 citing security concerns during protests, then imposed verified-ID rules with heavy fines. Activists report account suspensions, threats and phone confiscations at checkpoints. A former prime minister who challenged the measures was arrested in April while a new nationality code drew criticism.
May 13, 6:45 AM·2m read7 sources
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The GuardianAudio version
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Gabon’s media regulator suspended major social media platforms in February 2026, citing security concerns. The government cited misinformation, disinformation, pornographic content and incitement to hatred as reasons for the shutdown. Use of VPNs to bypass the restrictions later increased. Gendarmerie in Libreville and other urban centres conducted checks at road checkpoints.
Social media had been used by citizens since December 2025, when workers in the education and health sectors protested over pay and the cost of living crisis. A new regulation passed in February 2026 requires social media users to provide verified names, addresses and ID numbers. Social networks face fines of 50 million central African CFA francs and prison terms for non-compliance.
The measures form part of broader changes that include a new nationality code signed in February 2026 and published last month. Government spokesperson Charles Edgard Mombo said criticism concerned the form rather than the substance. Mombo cited article 99 of Gabon’s constitution, which requires parliament to ratify presidential ordinances issued in times of urgency.
Nelly Ngabima, also known as Princesse de Souba, said she received threats from government officials that they would make her disappear from social networks. ” Her accounts, with a combined following of over 300,000 across Facebook, YouTube and TikTok, were suspended.
Felicia Anthonio, campaign manager at the #KeepItOn coalition, said the sustained intentional interference with access to essential digital communication platforms in Gabon is a blatant disregard for people’s fundamental rights, specifically the freedom of expression and the right to access information. The restrictions were temporarily lifted in April 2026.
Former prime minister and opposition leader Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze filed a suit challenging the social media restrictions in a Libreville court. He was arrested in April 2026 for alleged fraud and breach of trust in a 2008 case. This is not Gabon’s first internet disruption.
