In a significant move amidst escalating political tensions, major Tanzanian Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have restricted access to the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. This development has been confirmed by the internet monitoring group NetBlocks.
The restrictions come as authorities issue warnings about potential actions by opposition parties aimed at freeing political prisoners from police custody. The affected ISPs include prominent providers such as Vodacom, Airtel, and TTCL. NetBlocks’ data indicates that X’s reachability on these networks has been drastically reduced, effectively crippling the platform’s functionality in Tanzania. According to Vodacom, the company has completely blocked all X-related services, with similar disruptions observed on other major providers.
The timing of this move appears to be closely linked to a police alert about alleged plans by opposition parties to storm police stations. Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi Tsehai has been vocal about these ongoing detentions, sharing images of detainees and calling for public support on her social media channels.
This incident in Tanzania reflects a broader pattern of internet restrictions across Africa. Past examples include the internet shutdowns during the June 2024 protests in Kenya against the Finance Bill, and significant internet disruption in Nigeria during the #EndBadGovernance protests, which aimed at police reform. Senegal also experienced a nationwide outage following the government’s delay of elections earlier this year. In 2023, sub-Saharan Africa saw 114 government-induced internet shutdowns across 23 countries, leading to a loss of $1.74 billion in economic activity.
For further details on the recent situation in Tanzania, visit the original article.