Zambia has shut down social media platforms amid elections

Internet providers in Zambia on Thursday restricted access to social media platforms Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and messaging apps Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp in the country.

According to network data from Netblocks, Zambian government-owned Zamtel, Airtel Zambia, Liquid Telecom, and MTN Zambia, restricted access to the social media platforms, amid the country's General elections which are being held on August 12, 2021.

Zambia now joins Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, Guinea, Togo, Benin, Mauritania, Mali, Cameroon and other countries in the region that have faced internet shutdowns and social media restrictions during elections, notes Netblocks.