Tanzania has confirmed it is restricting access to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), citing the platform’s tolerance of pornographic content, including same-sex material, which the government says violates the country’s laws and cultural norms. Information Minister Jerry Silaa told a local TV station that X’s failure to comply with Tanzania’s “ethics guidelines” prompted the block. He linked the move to X’s 2023 decision to permit “consensually produced and distributed adult content,” a policy he claims contradicts Tanzanian regulations. Silaa also suggested that other platforms, including YouTube, face similar restrictions when content breaches national standards.
The block comes amid rising political tensions in Tanzania ahead of the October 2025 general elections. Access to X has been intermittently restricted for at least two weeks, following the hacking of the official police X account, which displayed pornographic material and falsely announced the death of President Samia Suluhu Hassan. The YouTube account of the national tax authority was also hacked and displayed explicit content.
Tanzania’s Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) condemned the government’s move, calling it a “troubling pattern of digital repression,” and noting that X faced similar restrictions during the 2020 elections. The group also criticized the government’s continued use of X while blocking citizens’ access, calling the move inconsistent and damaging to public trust.
Other platforms, such as Telegram and Clubhouse, are also reportedly inaccessible without VPNs, further limiting digital space. The government’s actions follow the arrest of prominent opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who faces treason charges after threatening to boycott the elections unless democratic reforms are implemented. His arrest sparked a regional outcry. Kenyan and Ugandan activists who traveled to Tanzania to support him were detained, deported, or allegedly abused by security officials.
Among them, Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan journalist Agather Atuhaire have accused Tanzanian security agents of sexual abuse during their detention. Mwangi alleged that he was forced to thank President Samia during the ordeal, while Atuhaire described being blindfolded and assaulted. Tanzanian police have denied the claims as “hearsay,” but Amnesty International and other human rights groups have called for an independent investigation.
President Samia, who took office in 2021 after the death of John Magufuli, was initially lauded for promoting political openness. However, critics say she is adopting authoritarian tactics reminiscent of her predecessor as she prepares to run for re-election under the ruling CCM party. The government maintains that it is committed to a peaceful, democratic process.
