The Equatorial Guinea’s government has prohibited its citizens from downloading and sharing multimedia files using mobile data on WhatsApp.
Following this decision, the country’s government issued guidelines to telecommunications companies, urging them to implement measures to block access to objectionable content.
Baltazar Engonga, the Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency, was embroiled in a sex scandal involving the wives of well-known figures.
The issue arose after a fraud probe into the 54-year-old economist, which culminated in ANIF officers conducting an unexpected search of his home and workplace, where they discovered multiple CDs revealing his sex escapes with several married women.
The almost 400 films purportedly contain contacts with high-profile individuals such as his brother’s wife, his cousin, the President of Equatorial Guinea’s sister, the Director General of Police’s wife, and the wives of over 20 of the country’s ministries, among others.
The film, located in his office, was alleged to have been recorded with his permission and has since been published online, sparking a media frenzy.
However, in a new development on Tuesday, Ahora EG, a local news site, stated that individuals have been complaining about their inability to upload photographs, videos, and audio when utilising a mobile data connection, forcing users to rely solely on WiFi networks to share such content.
Speaking with a source, the platform quoted a source as saying, “Should an entire country pay for the actions of a few? The likely decision to restrict access to essential communication functions seems disproportionate and punitive, affecting thousands of users of these platforms who, in addition to serving them for entertainment, also use them for their work and/or educational activities.
“In a world where digitalisation is becoming more and more important, should we shut down our platforms and paralyse our activities due to the actions of a few? Currently, users are forced to rely exclusively on WiFi connections, which not only limits their ability to communicate but also interferes with their daily activities.
“This situation has generated a heated debate among the population, where many believe that the measure seems to be more focused on controlling than facilitating communication,” the report added.
Furthermore, Ahora EG also quarried, “Is it really fair that everyone should suffer the consequences of the actions of a few?
“The authorities have not yet provided any explanation for the reasons behind this restriction, as well as the duration of the same.
“At a time when information and communication are more vital than ever, the lack of transparency only aggravates citizens’ concerns.”
