Since Saturday, February 1, residents of several Congolese cities, including Kinshasa, Goma, Bukavu, and Lubumbashi, have faced difficulty accessing popular social media platforms like X and TikTok.
While there has been no official announcement, analysts suggest these restrictions are aimed at curbing the spread of information about the escalating situation in the eastern part of the country.
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While some users were able to bypass the restrictions by using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), many others complained that they were unable to connect to their applications.
NetBlocks, an internet monitoring group, claims that the data shows a targeted restriction on social networks and application download platforms, which makes it harder to access VPNs.
Trend of internet restrictions in Africa
These measures come amid heightened tensions in the DRC, with civil society organisations condemning the limitations as an attack on free speech while the government accuses certain groups of using social media to spread misinformation or stoke violence.
Similar to the DRC, a number of African nations impose internet restrictions during security crisis or political unrest.
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Sub-Saharan Africa would have lost around $1.5 billion in 2024 as a result of internet shutdowns, social network ban, and decreased bandwidth, according to the Global Cost of Internet Shutdowns report, which was released last January by the British platform Top10VPN.
These limitations impact important industries like e-commerce and digital services, slow down online transactions, and interfere with supply chains in addition to directly harming independent contractors and digital enterprises.
Restrictions on Internet and social network access have grown commonplace in Africa during times of social or political unrest. These security-justified limitations raise questions about free speech and its impact on the economy.