Senegal has been rocked by protests in recent days, and one of the ways that authorities in the country are responding is by limiting access to the Internet. On June 1, access to social media platforms was restricted, requiring the use of a virtual private network (VPN) or other similar tools to circumvent the block.
On Monday, the third day of unrest, the government sought to limit this as well by implementing “a pattern of daily curfew-style mobile Internet shutdowns” according to NetBlocks, an Internet watchdog in the U.K. The Senegalese government’s reasoning for these mobile Internet access restrictions is to prevent “dissemination of hateful and subversive messages in the context of public order disturbances.”
As a result, the hashtag #FreeSenegal has been trending on Twitter to bring global awareness to the issue. “The social media blackout echoes measures in other African countries and reflects government insecurities in the face of social unrest or criticism,” said Isik Mater, director of research at NetBlocks.
Why is #FreeSenegal going viral on social media?
Answer: Because authorities in Senegal are instituting Internet restrictions.
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