Guinea's Haute Autorité de la Communication (HAC) has banned 10 web TVs and 2 news sites from operating in the country. The decision, signed by HAC president Boubacar Yacine Diallo, was made during a regular meeting on September 21, 2026. The banned web TVs and news sites were found to be operating without prior approval or legal authorization. The HAC cited reports from its monitoring efforts as the basis for its decision.
The banned web TVs include Yimbaya Mediaş TV, Dabola TV, Anelvision Web Media, and others, operating in various regions of Guinea. The two news sites banned are www.dabolainfo.com and www.guinee24plus.com, which the HAC claims have transformed into web TVs. According to the HAC, these platforms are broadcasting on the internet without meeting the necessary legal requirements. This has negatively impacted the country's licensed radios, TVs, online press, and other media outlets.
The HAC stated that some promoters and presenters of the banned platforms do not meet the legal criteria to work as media professionals and lack the required press cards issued by the HAC. The regulator claimed it had issued multiple warnings, reminders, and formal warnings to the platforms in recent weeks, urging them to regularize their operations and cease clandestine broadcasting.
The HAC accused the banned platforms of refusing to comply with regulations, characterizing their actions as an "illegal exercise of the profession of journalist and broadcasting activity." The regulator has strictly prohibited the promoters, presenters, and collaborators of these platforms from engaging in any journalistic or audiovisual activities under their own names.
Failure to comply with the HAC's decision will result in judicial prosecution for illegal exercise of the profession. The HAC has tasked regional and local administrative authorities, as well as its own focal points and supervisors, with enforcing the decision. The banned platforms are no longer allowed to operate on Guinea's territory or on any digital platform.
The HAC's decision aims to regulate the country's media landscape and ensure that all media outlets operate within the bounds of the law. The regulator emphasized that its actions are intended to protect the country's licensed media outlets and promote a fair and transparent media environment.
The ban on the 10 web TVs and 2 news sites is the latest move by the HAC to assert its authority and regulate Guinea's rapidly evolving media sector. The decision is expected to have significant implications for the country's media landscape and the operations of online media outlets.
Key points
- The HAC banned 10 web TVs and 2 news sites for operating without licenses.
- The banned platforms were found to be broadcasting on the internet without meeting the necessary legal requirements.
- The HAC has prohibited the promoters, presenters, and collaborators of the banned platforms from engaging in any journalistic or audiovisual activities.
