Guinea: Restrictions on social media platforms lifted

After they were observed on Thursday, restrictions on several social media platforms in Guinea, which is ruled by an authoritarian government, have been lifted.

Guinean authorities have not officially commented on the blackout

A group of Guinean bloggers known as ABLOGUI first noticed the restrictions on sites including facebook, YouTube and tiktok starting on Wednesday.

The president of the group, Baro Conde, hailed the restoration of access to the site.

However he fears there could be further shutdowns during legislative and municipal elections in May, stating that the country has ‘a habit of restricting social media access during election periods’ .

Without extrapolating, the country’s communications regulator had warned earlier in the week about recent ‘verbal attacks, unverified information and messages harmful to social cohesion’.

The country is led by Mamady Doumbouya, who seized power in a 2021 coup and was elected last year in a ballot that excluded all main opposition figures.