Tanzania’s government has officially blocked access to the social media platform X, citing concerns over pornographic content that breaches the nation’s laws and cultural standards. This decision comes on the heels of multiple backlash moments for the platform, which hosts “consensually produced and distributed” adult content. The Minister for Information, Jerry Silaa, stated that the material found on X « goes against Tanzania’s laws, culture, customs and traditions ».
The government’s actions come amid accusations that President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration is becoming increasingly repressive. Since taking office after the death of President John Magufuli in 2021, Hassan initially garnered praise for fostering greater political freedom. But recent repressive measures have set off alarm bells, especially with the country heading towards presidential and parliamentary elections set for October.
Silaa noted that stopping X was part of a bigger effort. This best practices effort is intended to support the Government of Tanzania in protecting consumers and ensuring that all online platforms adhere to Tanzanian laws. Beyond X, other heavily used platforms such as Clubhouse and Telegram have recently become completely blocked. You can only access them through Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). This pattern of restricting access to online platforms has emerged as a hallmark of censorship and faced heavy criticism from human rights activists.
The Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC), a Tanzanian rights organization, voiced concerns over Silaa’s remarks, describing them as indicative of a “troubling pattern of digital repression.” The LHRC argued that these new limitations on X raise the specter of a homemade, mid pandemic, version of the extreme censorship shutdown implemented prior to the 2020 elections. This raises significant questions about the openness of Tanzania’s digital space.
On May 20, global internet observatory Netblocks reported an alarming trend in Tanzania. They discovered that X went inaccessible after the official police account was hacked by cyber protestors. The hacked account posted pornography and made a false announcement that President Hassan was dead. This led to an urgent government response.
As disagreements exacerbate ahead of elections likely scheduled for 2024, Hassan’s administration is making a bold move. They claim that Tanzania is a model democracy committed to holding free and fair elections. On the flip side, government officials have cautioned against meddling by outside activists from other countries like Uganda and Kenya in Tanzanian affairs.