Ugandans may partake in their upcoming presidential election in an internet blackout. This comes after reports that the country’s communications regulator on Tuesday ordered internet service providers to shut down social media and messaging applications.
AFP reports that the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) executive director Irene Sewankambo ordered telecommunications companies to “immediately suspend any access and use” of social media and online messaging platforms; Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Signal, and Viber.
The news agency further cites an anonymous source describing the order as communicated in “nasty and aggressive” phone calls to the telecommunications companies on Tuesday morning.
According to AFP, the calls made it clear the order was retaliation for Facebook deleting pro-government accounts for seeking to manipulate public debate ahead of the election.
It should be recalled that at the start of the week Facebook said it had blocked accounts that were linked to the ministry of information and technology, as part of measures to avoid election propaganda.
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