Tanzanian authorities on Wednesday shut down access to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) after a cyberattack on an official police account was used to spread false news of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s death.
The real-time internet monitoring group NetBlocks confirmed the disruption, stating that X became inaccessible on major telecom providers across the country.
“Live metrics show X has become unreachable on major internet providers in #Tanzania; the incident comes as a compromised police account posts claims the President has died, angering the country’s leadership,” NetBlocks posted.
Government Reacts to Cyberattack
The shutdown followed the hacking of the official Tanzania Police (TANPOL) X account, which reportedly triggered outrage at the highest levels of government. Earlier in the week, President Suluhu had called on security agencies to “safeguard national interests on social media.”
Tanzania’s Minister of Information, Communications, and Technology, Jerry William Silaa, confirmed the breach during a parliamentary session, revealing that the country’s tax authority’s YouTube account was also hacked.
“The reason these accounts were compromised is due to weak security protocols. We have now restored control over the affected accounts,” Silaa said.
Police authorities have launched a manhunt for those behind the cyberattack, warning the public against sharing or spreading the false information.
Political Tensions in the Background
The cyber incident and subsequent government response come amid mounting political unrest in Tanzania. Opposition leader Tundu Lissu—who survived an assassination attempt in 2017—was recently arrested and charged with treason. His party, Chadema, has also been barred from contesting the October 2025 presidential election.
Adding to the tension, Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan lawyer Agather Atuhaire were reportedly detained by Tanzanian authorities while on civil society-related work. Their current whereabouts remain unknown.
A journalist who spoke with Mwangi’s wife confirmed that he had not yet been deported, though there has been no official statement from the Tanzanian government regarding their detention.
This marks the second time in under a year that the government has restricted access to X. In August 2024, the platform was also taken offline following Lissu’s previous arrest.
As digital platforms continue to shape political discourse in the region, the Tanzanian government’s actions have raised concerns about freedom of expression and the growing trend of internet censorship in East Africa.
