Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition join human rights groups in Tanzania in condemning the blocking of X in Tanzania on Friday, August 30, 2024. People using major mobile internet service networks including Vodacom, Airtel, Habari, and Tigo, couldn’t access the popular social media platform, as technical evidence from the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) suggested X was blocked by means of Transport Layer Security (TLS) interference.
Authorities and internet service providers in Tanzania must explain why X remained inaccessible for close to 24 hours. Internet access can’t just disappear and reappear in the country without an explanation or anyone taking responsibility, especially as Tanzania prepares to hold local elections this November.Felicia Anthonio, #KeepItOn Campaign Manager at Access Now
To civil society’s alarm, the blocking of X allegedly coincided with an online campaign by activists against President Suluhu regarding recent reports of murders, kidnappings, and disappearances in the country. The blocking was preceded by a statement from the Tanzanian police force warning opposition politicians against alleged plans to mobilize youth via online meetings on Zoom, to storm police stations in search of three youth leaders who were abducted by authorities, and the refusal of Tanzania’s High Court to initiate a judicial inquiry in response to reported abductions of over 200 people.
Over the past few months, members of the ruling party have repeatedly called for the blocking of X, while the Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority made announcements last year about restricting the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in the country.
Social media platforms play a vital role for people to mobilize and critique human rights abuses. Blocking access to platforms like X violates people’s rights to assembly and free speech, and denies people access to critical information. Authorities and internet service providers everywhere must be held accountable for undermining people’s basic rights.Jaimee Kokonya, Africa Campaigner at Access Now
The recent blocking of X signifies an unprecedented escalation in the suppression of freedom of expression and access to information in Tanzania. Access to the internet is an enabler of human rights, particularly during elections, and the authorities must provide clarification and initiate an independent probe on the blocking of X in Tanzania. Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition also reiterate the Internet Governance Tanzania Working Group’s demand that the Tanzanian government and the private sector must safeguard free expression, access to information, and economic empowerment for all people in Tanzania.