Read in Spanish/ leer en español
Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition have today launched a campaign to galvanize international support in demanding an end to the ongoing internet shutdown in Annobón, an island province of Equatorial Guinea. It has been 347 days and counting since the people of Annobón were plunged into darkness by a deliberate government-mandated shutdown in response to protests. The prolonged shutdown has effectively shut the island off from the rest of the world and continues to deny people access to life-saving information.
As part of this campaign, the #KeepItOn coalition petitioned Commissioner Topsy-Sonoo, Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression and access to information at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), to intervene but has yet to receive a response from her office. The coalition has also documented the profound human impact of the blackout. These efforts are aimed at galvanizing international support and continued pressure on the authorities of Equatorial Guinea to end the shutdown.
Governments are increasingly targeting small and isolated communities with internet blackouts to silence dissent and crack down on resistance, hoping that they will fly under the radar and advocacy fatigue sets in. This campaign is a reminder to governments that the #KeepItOn coalition is alert, active, and committed to holding perpetrators to account and fighting shutdowns in all corners of the world — no matter if they impact 5,000 people or 5 million.Felicia Anthonio, #KeepItOn Campaign Manager at Access Now
Since the shutdown was imposed, there have been reports of human rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests, attacks on protestors, and illegal seizure of devices. It has also become even more difficult for people to document and report on these violations. In addition to this, people outside of Annobón have been unable to communicate with their loved ones on the island, as the government extends its digital iron curtain on alternative connectivity, compounding their suffering.
The people of Annobón have been historically subject to many injustices, and it is extremely concerning to see this prolonged shutdown employed as yet another measure to curtail their human rights. This is not the first time we’ve seen internet shutdowns used against communities in the margins that dare to speak out against injustices. Access Now calls on the government of Equatorial Guinea to restore full connectivity in Annóbon before the shutdown hits the one-year mark on July 20, 2025.Bridget Andere, Senior Policy Analyst at Access Now
Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition demand that the international community, including the ACHPR, the UN and its mechanisms, and the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC), join the call and secure a commitment from the government of Equatorial Guinea to put an immediate end to the shutdown and uphold human rights in Annobón.
Read the petition.