Election periods are widely recognised as times of heightened sensitivity for digital communications. Independent monitors – such as the Access Now #KeepItOn coalition – have reported that temporary internet restrictions or service disruptions may occur in some countries during elections, particularly where political tensions are high. These events, when they occur, affect all operators equally and can limit people’s ability to access information or communicate during important national moments. 

In 2025, two of our markets, Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire, held national elections. Ahead of both elections, we applied our human rights due diligence framework, which included comprehensive human rights impact assessments, social and political context monitoring and the development of election readiness approaches. These processes enabled us to identify potential risks, support our teams in affected markets and put in place measures to safeguard network integrity, staff security and user rights. 

In Cameroon, external observers noted reduced internet availability in certain parts of the country around the election period. While we do not influence decisions relating to national network restrictions, we maintained strong internal co-ordination, monitored service performance closely and ensured our engagements with authorities followed established lawful processes. Elections in Côte d’Ivoire were largely peaceful and we followed the same readiness and due-diligence procedures to support responsible and proportionate decision making. Across both markets, our actions were aligned with international human rights standards.