For about a week now, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been limiting access to the internet. From the 27th of January, internet metrics indicate a significant disruption to internet connectivity at the Goma internet exchange in the eastern DRC.
The outage coincides with a major military escalation between the DRC, M23 rebels, and neighboring Rwanda. Congolese authorities have announced measures to “counter Rwandan propaganda.” The situation highlights the growing instability in the region as both nations grapple with heightened hostilities. Recently, the eastern regions of DR Congo were occupied by rebel forces.
DRC’s government has also intensified efforts to block access to social media platforms like X and TikTok, which have been used to share information amid ongoing unrest in the country. This social media crackdown follows a series of escalating events, including the burning of embassies such as Kenya’s in Kinshasa.
Social media users have been finding workarounds; hence, DRC has also been curbing access to virtual private network (VPN) apps. As of yesterday, the Google Play Store has reportedly been restricted. The restriction appears to be an attempt to prevent users from downloading VPNs, which allow individuals to bypass government-imposed internet controls.
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Authorities have yet to officially comment on the Play Store restrictions, but the move aligns with broader efforts to control the flow of information during a period of heightened political and social tension.
