Internet & Online Safety · Gabon
Online safety & content laws in Gabon (2026)
Gabon shaded by its internet & online safety status
Gabon has a fragmented but growing online safety framework built across several laws — cybersecurity (2023), data protection (2023), electronic transactions (2021), and a landmark set of three ordinances on social-network regulation signed 26 February 2026 and published in the Official Journal in April 2026. No single comprehensive online safety statute equivalent to the EU DSA or UK OSA exists; the 2026 ordinances are still undergoing parliamentary ratification as of May 2026. The state has also resorted to outright internet and social-media shutdowns (August 2023 elections; February 2026), indicating enforcement practice that goes beyond the formal legal framework.
Key points
Law No. 027/2023 of 11 July 2023 is the primary instrument governing cybersecurity and cybercrimes, covering critical infrastructure protection, online offences (including hate speech and illegal content), and penalties. It replaced and updated the earlier Order No. 15-PR-2018.
Three ordinances signed on 26 February 2026 (led by Ordinance No. 0011/PR/2026) establish Gabon's first dedicated social-media regime: platform responsibility, minor protection, deepfake prohibition, and a 72-hour ceiling on emergency platform suspensions. Published in the Official Gazette on 8–15 April 2026; parliamentary examination began 26 May 2026.
Law No. 025/2023 on Personal Data Protection created the APDPVP (Autorité de Protection des Données à Caractère Personnel et de la Vie Privée) as the national data-protection regulator. Gabon also ratified the African Union Malabo Convention on 17 October 2024.
In February 2026 the HAC (Haute Autorité de la Communication) ordered an immediate, open-ended suspension of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp without an express legal basis. The Constitutional Court was seized; the crisis directly prompted the 26 February 2026 ordinances that created a legal framework for such suspensions.
On 26 August 2023 authorities cut nationwide internet access as election results were announced, citing prevention of 'false information and calls for violence.' Access was restored on 30 August following a military coup. The shutdown was documented by NetBlocks and condemned by the #KeepItOn coalition.
ARCEP (the telecom regulator) warned in late 2025 that use of Starlink satellite internet equipment was illegal in Gabon and would expose users to sanctions, restricting the range of available internet-access technologies for citizens.
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