Social networks and messaging services, including Facebook, Telegram, TikTok, and YouTube, were once again freely accessible in Ethiopia on Wednesday after more than five months of restrictions,
OONI, an association that tracks online censorship, had reported blockages on these sites and applications since February 9 when leaders of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church called for demonstrations against the creation of a dissident synod.
Since then, these social networks have only been accessible via a virtual private network (VPN), a device that enables users to connect virtually from another location.
Amnesty International condemned the blocking, which “clearly violates citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and access to information”. Neither the government nor the public operator Ethio Telecom responded.
On Wednesday, these sites were freely accessible from the Ethiopian network.
The OONI Probe application, which detects online restrictions and blockages, also reported free access to these sites.
The Ethiopian authorities have cut off or restricted access to the internet or to certain platforms on several occasions in recent years.
The previous government did so several times between 2015 and 2017 when it was faced with a protest movement, the likes of which had not been seen for 25 years.
This has also been the case since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018.
The northern region of Tigray, the scene of an armed conflict with the federal government between November 2020 and November 2022, was largely deprived of any means of telecommunications for two years. Networks have been partially restored since the signing of a peace agreement last November.
