Gabon Social Media Blackout February 2026: VPN Usage Surges 16,000%
On February 17, 2026, Gabon's High Authority for Communication (HAC) ordered an immediate suspension of Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and X "until further notice." The blackout came amid nationwide teacher strikes and growing cost-of-living protests against President Brice Oligui Nguema's government. VPN connections from Gabon surged over 16,000% within one week, with France-based servers absorbing the majority of traffic, reflecting the country's French-speaking population seeking to circumvent the blocks.
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VPN Super
February 24, 2026
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Table of Contents
What's happening in Gabon?
On February 17, 2026, Gabon's High Authority for Communication (HAC) ordered an immediate suspension of all major social media platforms "until further notice." The blackout cuts off approximately 2.5 million citizens from Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and X amid escalating teacher strikes and nationwide protests over the cost of living.
Date implemented:February 17, 2026 (evening announcement; blocks enforced February 18)
Platforms affected:Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, WhatsApp, X (Twitter)
Censorship method:ISP-level blocking enforced by Moov Gabon, Gabon Telecom, and Airtel Gabon
Reason cited:"Inappropriate, defamatory, hateful, and insulting content" threatening national security and social cohesion
Population affected:Approximately 2.5 million citizens; social media is particularly popular among youth for business and leisure
Peak VPN increase:+16,000% above baseline within one week (170x–200x increase in hourly connections)
How the spike was measured
To understand how Gabonese users responded to the social media blackout, VPN connection data and server destination patterns were tracked from multiple sources.
App telemetry
Connection data from the VPN app was monitored between February 17–24, 2026, with hourly granularity across 57 destination countries. This data showed which server locations Gabonese users chose and how connection patterns evolved as the blackout persisted. All data was anonymous and grouped by country only. No personal details or browsing history were collected.
Data was grouped, not tied to individual users
Only country-level connection counts and server destination data were used
No personal information or browsing activity was collected
The data: VPN connections surge 16,000%
VPN connections from Gabon surged dramatically over a seven-day window, reaching approximately +16,000% above baseline by February 24 — a roughly 170x–200x increase in total hourly connections.
Key Findings:
Finding
Detail
Peak surge
By Day 7, hourly connections reached ~80,000+ — a 170x–200x increase over baseline levels of ~350–470/hr
Viral adoption curve
Hours 0–12: slow initial uptake (early adopters); Hours 12–36: exponential surge (word-of-mouth via SMS, in-person); Days 3–5: continued growth but decelerating rate; Days 5–7: plateau beginning at very high levels
Dominant destination
France absorbed ~30–35% of all connections — a strong cultural-linguistic signal reflecting Gabon's status as a French-speaking former colony; Netherlands (~15–18%), Germany (~10–12%), and UK (~8–12%) followed
Why Gabon blocked social media
The HAC framed the shutdown as a response to harmful online behavior, but the timing coincides with growing public dissatisfaction with President Brice Oligui Nguema's government.
The official justification
In a televised address on February 17, HAC spokesperson Jean-Claude Mendome announced the "immediate suspension" of social media, citing "inappropriate, defamatory, hateful, and insulting content" that threatened "human dignity, public morality, the honour of citizens, social cohesion, the stability of the Republic's institutions, and national security". The regulator did not specify which platforms were affected, nor did it provide evidence of specific violations.
The real drivers: strikes and protests
The blackout came amid Gabon's first major wave of social unrest since President Nguema took power:
Issue
Detail
Teacher strikes
Thousands of teachers have been on strike since December 2025 over pay and working conditions. The starting salary of 350,000 CFA francs ($640/month) no longer covers basic needs after a decade-long wage freeze under the previous Bongo government.
Spreading unrest
Protests have expanded to healthcare, higher education, and broadcasting sectors. Workers across public sectors are threatening similar action.
Cost of living
Inflation averaged 2.6% per year between 2016–2024, eroding purchasing power while wages remained frozen. The government suspended taxes and import tariffs on food and construction materials for six months — signaling the severity of the crisis.
Social media as organizing tool
Platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and TikTok were being used to organize protests, share grievances, and criticize the government — which authorities framed as "cyberbullying" and threats to national security.
Opposition and business backlash
The blackout has triggered widespread anger from opposition politicians and businesses alike.
Former prime minister and leading opposition figure Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze described the decision as "incomprehensible" and in violation of the Constitution. He stated that the HAC has "absolutely no authority to make such a decision. It is disproportionate. It is an abuse that we utterly condemn".
Businesses reliant on social media have also been hit hard. Gabonese content creator Mister Wils, who has nearly 100,000 followers on TikTok, said the ban is "bad news for his business". Restaurants, e-commerce operators, and social media marketers across the country face similar disruptions.
Digital rights organizations have condemned the shutdown. Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition called on the Gabonese government to "immediately revoke the shutdown directive" and urged ISPs including Moov Gabon, Gabon Telecom, and Airtel Gabon to "stop enforcing shutdown orders". Paradigm Initiative described the blanket suspension as "a grave violation of digital rights, including freedom of expression and access to information".
Gabon's history of internet shutdowns
This is not Gabon's first digital blackout during politically sensitive periods:
August 2023: A three-day total internet blackout during the military coup that ousted President Ali Bongoending the Bongo family's 55-year rule.
Previous elections: Prior administrations were known to impose internet shutdowns to control information flow during elections.
The current ban has no stated end date ("until further notice"), which suggests it could persist for weeks if political tensions remain elevated.
The economic cost of shutdowns
Across Africa, internet shutdowns cost an estimated $1.11 billion in economic losses in 2025 alone, affecting approximately 116.1 million users (per Top10VPN data cited by Ecofin Agency). Gabon's indefinite blackout adds to this toll, with particular impact on:
Small businesses reliant on WhatsApp for customer communication
Content creators and digital marketers
E-commerce operators
Journalists and civil society organizations
What's next
The blackout shows no signs of ending. With teacher strikes ongoing and protests spreading to other sectors, the government faces mounting pressure, but has given no indication of when access will be restored.
Potential escalation: Authorities may attempt to block VPN services themselves. As Cybernews noted, "Authorities may attempt to block VPN services" using deep packet inspection (DPI) to identify and throttle VPN traffic.
Sustained VPN demand: With no end date and ongoing political unrest, VPN usage from Gabon is likely to remain elevated for weeks at minimum.
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