The government of Equatorial Guinea has made it illegal for its people to use mobile data to download and share multimedia files on WhatsApp.
This choice was followed by the rules that the country’s government gave to phone companies when it told them to take steps to stop people from accessing inappropriate content.
Baltasar Engonga, who was in charge of the country’s National Financial Investigation Agency, was involved in a sex scandal involving the wives of famous people.
As part of an investigation into fraud involving the 54-year-old Economist, his home and office were searched without warning by ANIF officials, who found several CDs that showed him having sex with married women. This led to the scandal.
Reports say that the more than 400 movies show him with famous people, including his cousin, his brother’s wife, the sister of the president of Equatorial Guinea, the director general of police’s wife, and the wives of about 20 ministers in the country.
The video was found in his office and was said to have been taped with permission. It was then posted online, which caused a huge stir in the media.
Ahora EG, a local news site, reported on Tuesday that people have been complaining that they can’t share photos, videos, and audio when using a mobile data connection. This means that users have to rely on WiFi networks only to share these types of material.
A source talked to the platform and said, “Should a whole country pay for the actions of a few?” It seems unfair and harsh that access to basic contact features will be limited. This will affect thousands of people who use these platforms for work and/or school activities as well as for fun.
“In a world where going digital is becoming more and more important, should we shut down our platforms and stop doing things because of what a few people did?” Presently, users can only connect via WiFi, which not only limits their ability to talk to each other but also gets in the way of their everyday lives.
“This situation has caused a heated debate among the people, and many think that the measure seems to be more about controlling communication than making it easier,” the report said.
So EG also quoted someone who asked, “Is it really fair that everyone has to deal with the results of the actions of a few?” The officials have not yet given any information about why this restriction is in place or how long it will last. Information and conversation are more important than ever, and the lack of transparency only makes people more worried.
Teddy Nguema, the Vice President of Equatorial Guinea, said earlier that he was going to put surveillance cameras in all state body buildings.
This broad measure is part of a larger effort to make sure that public service rules are strictly followed and to stop officials from being dishonest.
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