Another mobile data shutdown in Senegal

Senegal

13 February, 2024 10:15 - 19:45 (9 hours)

Local Impact

On Tuesday, 13 February 2024, the Senegalese Ministry of Communication, Telecommunication, and Digital Economy ordered mobile data access to be suspended, citing the spread of “hateful and subversive messages on social media.”

This follows a similar order issued on 4 February that resulted in a similar shutdown, details here.

Cause Documentation

On 13 February 2024, the Senegalese Ministry of Communication, Telecommunication, and Digital Economy issued the following statement indicating that mobile Internet would be suspended.

Data and Analysis

Following a similar order issued on 4 February, authorities in Senegal ordered access to mobile data to be suspended. Tigo users experienced a drop in connectivity starting 13 February 2024 after 10:00 UTC until 19:45 UTC, as seen in the data from Cloudflare Radar below.

A Time series graph showing drop in Internet traffic observed by Cloudflare for Tigo from 10:00 UTC on 13 February 2024 — Figure 1 — Internet traffic trends for Tigo from 12 to 13 February 2024. Source: Cloudflare Radar.

Conversations

Senegal President Macky Sall’s government shuts down mobile internet access again and bans protests over the postponement of a presidential election, as a hundred journalists gather for a vigil in front of the Press House in Dakar, denouncing the attacks on the exercise of their… pic.twitter.com/sdtPwVGwod

— Kennedy Wandera (@KennedyWandera_) February 13, 2024

CPJ Welcomes West African Lawsuit Against Senegal Internet Shutdowns https://t.co/5ORsokhvXs

— The Nigerian Voice (@TheNigerianVoic) February 13, 2024