Government says only Facebook, Tiktok are shutdown not internet

The government has moved to dispel claims that it shut down on Thursday internet services across the country.
Michael Makuei Lueth, Minister of Information

By Jenifer James

The government has moved to dispel claims that it shut down on Thursday internet services across the country.

“We have not shut down any internet services, all that is shut down is TikTok and Facebook. Are they being used for business? It is only those making money from these platforms who are complaining. Businesspeople have not lost anything,” said Michael Makuei Lueth, Minister for Information, Telecommunication and Postal Services during a media briefing on Friday in Juba.

Makuei acknowledged the government’s unsuccessful attempt to establish a national internet gateway and data centre, which he said would have helped regulate digital content.

“This should have been the work of the gateway; unfortunately, we did not succeed in establishing it. The data centre would have been the right body to control incoming and outgoing content,” he said.

The ban on TikTok and Facebook has sparked criticism from users and digital rights advocates, who argue that the government is restricting freedom of expression and access to information.

On Thursday, the Director General of the National Communication Authority (NCA), Naspoleon Adok Gai, announced the ban on the two social media platforms for 30 days period.

He explained that the decision was prompted by the recent “upheaval in Sudan, which has exposed South Sudanese citizens to unprecedented levels of graphic violence shared on social media.”

Specifically, the NCA cited disturbing images and videos of violence faced by South Sudanese nationals in Wad Medani, Sudan, as a primary concern.

The NCA argued that the social media ban was necessary to curb the spread of violent content, particularly videos depicting brutal attacks on women and children. The authorities invoked Sections 9(g)(i) and 34(6) of the National Communication Act of 2012 to justify the action.

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