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Social networks and messaging services, including Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and Youtube, were once again freely accessible in Ethiopia after more than five months of restrictions
Social networks and messaging services, including Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and Youtube, were once again freely accessible in Ethiopia after more than five months of restrictions.
OONI, an association that tracks online censorship, had reported blockages on these sites and applications since 9 February, when leaders of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church called for demonstrations against the creation of a dissident synod. Since then, these social networks have only been accessible via a virtual private network (VPN), a device that enables users to connect virtually from another location. Since Wednesday (19th July), those sites were freely accessible from the Ethiopian network.
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Human rights groups including Amnesty International and the non-profit Center for Advancement of Rights and Democracy (CARD) had called out the move by the authorities and wanted to lift the restrictions. Amnesty International condemned the blocking, which, it said, clearly violated citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and access to information. Last June, the CARD said in a campaign that internet restrictions impacted the survival of modern businesses.
