The Central African nation of Gabon on Wednesday announced it was suspending some social media platforms for spreading “inappropriate, defamatory, hateful, and abusive” content that was allegedly threatening “social cohesion, the stability of the republic’s institutions, and national security.”

Gabon’s High Authority for Communications (HAC) said the social media block would be imposed “immediately” and would last until “further notice” but did not list the offending platforms or make specific allegations against them.

Internet monitoring group NetBlocks, which tracks efforts by governments around the world to suppress online communications, detected a significant loss of connectivity in Gabon to YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and WhatsApp.

NetBlocks also noted an enormous surge in the number of Gabonese using Virtual Private Network (VPN) services, which are often employed to get around government censorship efforts. Google saw a growing number of search requests for information about VPNs from Gabon, while the popular platform Proton VPN said signups from Gabon increased by over sixty thousand percent.

Gabon Shuts Down Social Media as Threat to National Security