Social Media Blackout in Chad: Africannews

A keypad, like the pen, can be mightier than the sword, and some governments impose social media blackouts. For the past year, Chad has prohibited the use of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, reports Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban for Africannews. The impoverished nation of about 15 million people has endured years of rebellion, civil war and extremists like Boko Haram. The nation’s GDP is aobut $2,500 and the literacy rate is about 25 percent, reports CIA World Factbook. Internet penetration is about 5 percent. “The state says these applications have helped to organize anti-government protests which in turn threaten internal security,” the article notes. “The blockade was imposed when a national conference recommended changes to the constitution to allow president Idriss Deby Itno to continue in office until 2033.” Rahman also describes brief social-media blackouts connected to politics and protests in Gabon, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. – YaleGlobal