Ethiopia lifts social media restrictions

Ethiopia has lifted social media restrictions, including Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, TikTok, and YouTube, after four months. The restrictions were imposed following the anti-government protests related to tensions within the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church, and despite a March deal, they remained for more than four months.

The restrictions have drawn criticism from human rights organizations, the Media Council of Ethiopia, and the Committee to Protect Journalists, who stated that the blockage violates freedom of expression and access to information. Ethiopians used VPNs to access the internet and social media during the blackout, while the state-owned Ethiopian Telecom claimed that the closure was beyond its control.