Google started getting complaints about interruptions in access to Gmail “around the time” that calls for protesters to gather for a “Jasmine Revolution” appeared online last month, a company spokeswoman said.
Those calls triggered a heavy response from the government, which deployed large numbers of police to planned protest sites and intensified censorship of the internet.
Users say problems have ranged from inconsistent access to the home page of Gmail to problems with sending emails when logged in to the service.
“There is no technical issue on our side. We have checked extensively,” Google said in a statement.
“This is a government blockage carefully designed to look like the problem is with Gmail.”