Sudan Restricts Social Media Access To Counter Protest Movement

Sudanese authorities are allegedly blocking access to popular social media platforms used to organize and broadcast nationwide anti-government protests triggered by an economic crisis.

The country has been rocked by been rocked by demonstrations over the past two weeks, with protesters demanding the resignation of President Omar al-Bashir, who took power in 1989.  Users of the three main telecommunications operators in the country — Zain, MTN and Sudani — said access to Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp has only been possible through use of a virtual private network (VPN).

Statistics from local media show that of Sudan’s 40 million people, some 13 million use the internet and more than 28 million own mobile phones.

In Sudan, the state tightly controls traditional media. In 2013, authorities imposed an internet blackout during deadly protests sparked by fuel subsidies.