African Nations Increasingly Silence Internet to Stem Protests
"You incur six months to two years imprisonment and 5 to 10 million fine if you publish or spread on the social media information
that you can’t prove." Another message read, "Do not be an accomplice of disinformation or destabilization of our country through the social media." Some citizens in blackout areas have come up with clever ways to get around the shutdown.
Freedom House, an American watchdog organization, said in its annual Freedom on the Net survey of 65 countries
that 24 nations experienced restrictions on social media and communications last year, up from 15 countries the previous year.
But they are also a hit to the fragile economies of developing nations
that are increasingly reliant on online business transactions as internet access and cellphone use have exploded in recent years.
The government is buying technology from Chinese companies
that will allow officials to filter websites in the same fashion that the Chinese government has long employed to control content.
Mr. Boh said that This is a clear sign that the government of Yaoundé doesn’t listen to its people’s voices,