Algerians have experienced seven deliberate disruptions in access to Facebook during the first six months of 2019, according to the latest data shared by the social network in its latest transparency report. Two specific periods of disruption of access have been reported by Facebook. The social network indicates that access was disrupted for three hours on February 21 and for six hours on February 22, coinciding with the first Friday of the anti-government protests. Facebook also notes disturbances reported during the five days of the week from June 16 to 20, 2019.
The disruption lasted ten hours each of these days and corresponded to the period of the examinations of the baccalaureate 2019. With seven reports, Algeria is the second largest country in the world, behind forty disturbances reported in India at the same time. Opposition figures have been warning about Algeria’s seeking to limit access to Facebook and other social networks. They also say operatives working from the United Arab Emirates may be pressuring Facebook to close the accounts of opposition figures.
Facebook’s transparency report can be accessed here: https://transparency.facebook.com/
