In recent years, African governments have increasingly viewed the internet as a tool for protest, leading to a surge in network shutdowns during demonstrations. On July 2025, Angola shut down its internet for the first time in response to rising fuel prices, resulting in at least 22 deaths and over 1,500 arrests. This incident highlights the complex relationship between protest, democracy, and technology in Africa. A monthly record of technology, media, and telecommunications law across Africa has been kept since January 2014, now reaching its 152nd consecutive edition.
According to the record, there have been over 70 separate episodes of government-initiated network restrictions across 32 countries every year since 2014. Access Now's KeepItOn coalition has independently verified this number. These events raise questions about digital protest and the right to exercise it. The traditional definition of online protest focuses on hashtag campaigns, coordinated posting, and online petitions, which may not fully capture the complexities of digital activism in Africa.
Online protests have become a significant aspect of digital activism in Africa, with notable campaigns including #ThisFlag and #ShutDownZimbabwe in 2016, #BringBackOurInternet during the Cameroon disconnection, #DataMustFall in South Africa, and Nigeria's #EndSARS in 2020 and #EndBadGovernance in 2024. These campaigns demonstrate the power of online activism in mobilizing people and promoting social change.
In response to online protests, governments have employed two primary approaches. The first approach involves prosecuting individuals for posting online content, using cybercrime statutes, false-news provisions, or computer misuse acts to silence them. Examples of this approach include the prosecution of Ethiopia's Zone 9 bloggers in 2014, the co-founder of Jamii Forums under Tanzania's Cybercrimes Act in 2016, and Ignace Sossou in Benin in 2019.
The second approach involves cutting off the internet entirely when many people gather to protest. This approach has been used in countries such as Algeria, which has cut the national internet every June during baccalaureate exams to prevent cheating. Similarly, Kenya blocked Telegram during its national examinations in 2023 and 2024. In these cases, no individual is targeted, and the state claims it is simply maintaining order.
The differing approaches to online protest and network shutdowns highlight the need for African courts to adapt to the changing landscape of digital activism. While governments have been quick to respond to online protests with restrictive measures, the judiciary has been slow to address these issues. As a result, there is a growing need for clear guidelines and regulations on digital protest and the right to online expression.
The issue of digital protest and network shutdowns is likely to continue to be a contentious issue in Africa, with governments seeking to balance the need to maintain order with the need to protect citizens' rights to online expression. As the internet becomes increasingly integral to daily life, it is essential that African courts and governments develop a nuanced understanding of digital protest and its role in promoting democracy and social change.
Key points
- African governments have shut down the internet over 70 times across 32 countries since 2014, often in response to protests.
- Governments use two approaches to respond to online protests: prosecuting individuals or cutting off the internet entirely.
- African courts have not adapted to address the issue of digital protest and network shutdowns, leading to a need for clear guidelines and regulations.
