An analysis of Social Media use in The SADC region - 2014 - 2020 mobile network operators and Internet service providers had to restore full Internet access including access to social media applications and websites. Access to Applications129 such as WhatsApp and Facebook had been restricted since the morning of Tuesday 15 January 2019130 . Despite the verdict, in the same month a government Deputy Minster131 went on to warn that government would not hesitate to shut down the Internet again if need arises and claimed Zimbabweans were primitive and have no understanding of their constitutional rights. During that same time, other key sources of information were also under attack, there were 10 cases reported alleging attacks of journalists by army and police officers. It was reported132 that soldiers and police in riot gear detained and harassed 7 journalists in Harare despite having produced their press cards. It was also reported that 3 journalists were assaulted in Bulawayo by soldiers whilst filming the protests and the subsequent violence. Internet disruption: Case of DRC In August 2017, the day before a two-day protest organized by the opposition calling on people across the country to stay at home as a way of advocating for the publication of an electoral calendar, the Post and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority ordered telecommunication companies to strictly limit all social media activity and communication.133 The president of the DRC telecommunications authority134 sent a letter to telecoms companies that provide internet services in the country. It read: “To prevent abusive sharing of images through social media between clients of your network, I ask you to take the necessary technical measures to restrict the capacity to transfer images to the bare minimum.” Social media surveillance135 tracking Another key threat to social media use is the increase in social media surveillance136 in the region. Several of regions governments, such as, the Zambian137, South African, Angolan and Zimbabwean138 governments139 — have been reported to have sought Chinese assistance140 in monitoring their country’s digital communications networks. Governments are increasingly purchasing sophisticated technology to monitor their citizens’ behavior on social media141. The booming 129 https://ooni.org/post/zimbabwe-protests-social-media-blocking-2019/ 130 https://www.accessnow.org/zimbabwe-orders-a-three-day-country-wide-internet-shutdown/ 131 Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services deputy minister Energy Mutodi https://www.newsday.co.zw/2019/01/govt-wont-hesitate-shutting-down-internet-again-mutodi/ 132 http://www.hrforumzim.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Shutdown-Atrocities-Report-6-February-2019.pdf 133 https://www.refworld.org/topic,50ffbce582,50ffbce5be,5a993918a,0,AMNESTY,ANNUALREPORT,COD.html 134 https://www.refworld.org/topic,50ffbce582,50ffbce5be,598add634,0,AMNESTY,,COD.html 135 Social media surveillance refers to the collection and processing of personal data pulled from digital communication platforms, often through automated technology that allows for real-time aggregation, organization, and analysis of large amounts of metadata and content. Broader in scope than spyware, which intercepts communications by targeting specific individuals’ devices, social media surveillance cannot be dismissed as less invasive. 136 https://advox.globalvoices.org/2014/02/26/digital-surveillance-in-angola-and-other-less-important-african-countries/ 137 http://www.freedomhouse.org/cmb/82_030713#5 138 http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/2012/zimbabwe 139 https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/07/30/africas-big-brother-lives-in-beijing/ 140 http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/2012/zimbabwe 141 https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-on-the-net/2019/the-crisis-of-social-media/social-media-surveillance 27 https://zimbabwe.misa.org