Senegal has blocked access to the social app TikTok until further notice, the country's Ministry of Communications has said in a communique.
Reasoning for the decision, the department argued that the app could "threaten the stability of the country" in the hands of malefactors.
"The minister informs the public that it has been observed that the TikTok application is the social network favored by people with bad intentions to spread hateful and subversive messages threatening the stability of the country," the ministry's statement said.
The authorities added that telephone operators are obliged to comply with the stated requirements.
The restrictions came amid protests and unrest sparked by last week's detention of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who launched a hunger strike on Sunday calling on citizens to resist "oppression."
According to local media, the politician is being prosecuted on eight charges, among them calling for rebellion and encroaching on state security.
Earlier in June, Sonko was sentenced to two years in prison on charges of "corrupting youth," a verdict that triggered a wave of protests in the country.
The conviction jeopardizes the politician's eligibility to run for president in the February 2024 general election.