Following the delay of the presidential election on February 3, 2024, which triggered widespread protests, the Senegalese government has cut off Internet access nationwide.
Minister Moussa Bocar Thiam cited the spread of hateful and subversive messages on social media as the reason for the shutdown amidst threats to public order. This marks the third Internet outage in the country in the past eight months.
Tidjane Deme, General Partner at Partech, highlighted the extensive impact of the shutdown, emphasising the reliance of daily activities on mobile Internet, such as digital payments, medical consultations, and software usage by accountants. He urged the government to assess the consequences of the Internet blackout.
Amnesty International’s Senegal chapter condemned the action, urging the government to uphold press freedom and citizens’ right to information.
In June 2023, Internet access was restricted following violent protests triggered by the sentencing of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko.
NetBlocks estimates the cost of the Internet shutdown at approximately $332,502 per hour. Similar shutdowns occurred in the subsequent month.
According to a 2023 Top10vpn report, Senegal experienced 135 hours of blackouts, 3,811 hours of social media shutdowns, costing $57.4 million. Sub-Saharan Africa ranked second globally in losses, totaling $1.74 billion, affecting 84.8 million users over 30,785 hours.
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