Tanzanian authorities have indefinitely blocked access to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) following a major cybersecurity breach and growing political unrest ahead of the country’s hotly contested October general elections.
The global internet observatory NetBlocks confirmed the disruption on Tuesday, reporting that X became inaccessible across all major networks in Tanzania. The shutdown comes just hours after hackers breached the official Tanzania Police Force (TANPOL) account on X, falsely announcing the death of President Samia Suluhu Hassan—a claim swiftly denied by government officials.
“Live metrics show X has become unreachable on major internet providers in Tanzania,” NetBlocks said in a post, linking the blackout to the fake announcement which reportedly infuriated the country’s leadership.
President Suluhu recently instructed security agencies to tighten control over digital platforms, citing escalating threats to national security. “Social media should not be turned into a tool for destabilization,” she said during a recent address.
This marks the second shutdown of X in less than a year, raising growing concerns about digital repression and media freedom in Tanzania.
The blackout also comes amid rising political tensions, particularly surrounding the detention of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who faces treason charges. Lissu, a leading figure in the opposition Chadema party, has long been a critic of the ruling regime and was previously barred from running in the last general election. He also survived an assassination attempt in 2017.
Civil society groups and opposition parties have condemned the move, describing it as an attempt to silence dissent and limit public access to information during a critical election year.
