Facebook, TikTok inaccessible as Gabon shuts down social media

Social media logos display on a smartphone screen placed on a reflective surface onto which a Union Jack flag projects, as the British government considers quickly banning under-16s from social media and regulating artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots in Creteil, France, on February 17, 2026. [ AFP]

Facebook and TikTok were no longer available in Gabon on Wednesday, AFP journalists confirmed, hours after the media regulator announced their suspension because of the risk of "conflict-inducing excesses".

Gabon's media regulator on Tuesday announced the suspension of social media platforms "until further notice", blaming content posted online for stoking conflict and division in society.