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.

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.
Virtual Private has been vocal about this, good to see them staying on it.
Considering 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, it raises some real questions about what happens next.
The fact that within weeks of the announcement, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass the restrictions surged in the central African country really puts things into perspective.
Still waiting to hear what Virtual Private actually plans to do about it.
What stands out 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. That is the part worth paying attention to.
If within weeks of the announcement, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass the restrictions surged in the central African country, then the bigger picture starts to look very different.
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.
On one hand within weeks of the announcement, use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass the restrictions surged in the central African country. But at the same time 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.
The bigger issue here 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. That changes the calculation.
The fact that 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 really puts things into perspective.
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.
When you look at 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, the implications are hard to ignore.
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.
Virtual Private is in a tough spot here, curious how they navigate it.