(Bloomberg) -- Network data shows that access to social-media platforms including WhatsApp have been restricted in Ethiopia, monitoring service NetBlocks said.

Access to Facebook and Instagram has also been cut off, NetBlocks said in a statement on its Twitter account Monday.

Authorities in Ethiopia last year imposed at least four internet outages, including a nationwide shutdown that lasted more than two weeks. The shutdowns drew criticism from advocacy groups including Human Rights Watch that the government adopted the measure to suppress criticism.

The Horn of Africa nation is preparing to hold elections next month.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s spokeswoman Billene Seyoum and Ethiopian Telecommunications Corp. Chief Executive Officer Frehiwot Tamru didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment sent by text message.

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