Facebook and TikTok shut off in Equatorial Guinea
Africa
By
AFP
| Sep 17, 2026
Facebook and TikTok have been inaccessible for more than two weeks in Equatorial Guinea, an AFP journalist said on Wednesday, after a video accusing the vice-president of corruption went viral.
The authoritarian central African country, which has been ruled by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo since 1979, is regularly accused of repression of civil liberties.
Internet speed has been restricted since September 2 and access to Facebook and TikTok -- the country's most popular online platforms -- has been impossible for anyone without a virtual private network.
Other Meta platforms such as WhatsApp and Instagram, are limited but working.
READ MORE
Is your house too small or indoor appliances, gadgets eat more space
Govt to offer concessions, cheaper loans in industrialisation acceleration bid
Nanyuki opens fresh opportunities for investors
Rising costs hit Kenyan companies, consumer wallets
Residents seek Ngong Forest boundary variation
Death by design: Why Kenya's building crisis is far from over
Northern Corridor transporters strike deal to cut fuel costs and emissions
Kenya targets 16.8 per cent growth in UK tourist arrivals
Smart Africa, e-Crime Bureau strike deal to boost Africa's cybersecurity
Banking sector unveils green financing plan, targets Sh7.3 trillion
The apparent block on Facebook and TikTok comes after a young woman accused the president's eldest son, Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang, of corruption in an online video.
She was then arrested by the authorities.
The vice-president -- nicknamed Teodorin -- is known for his luxury lifestyle that he posts on social networks.
He was convicted in France in 2021 in a trial over "ill-gotten gains" and saw his assets frozen in the United Kingdom following investigations into acts of corruption.
There was no immediate response from the information ministry when contacted by AFP.
In Gabon, which borders Equatorial Guinea, social networks have been suspended since February, officially to combat the dissemination of "content... undermining... the stability of the institutions of the republic and national security".