Dar es Salaam, 22 May 2025. In a move that has raised international eyebrows, Tanzania blocked access to X (formerly Twitter) just days before it is set to host the 14th Africa Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF), prompting the Internet Governance Tanzania Working Group (IGTWG) to release a strongly worded statement denouncing the action as “arbitrary,” “disproportionate,” and “inconsistent with democratic and legal standards.”
The platform was rendered inaccessible nationwide between 20–21 May 2025, following coordinated cyber-attacks targeting the Tanzania Police Force, Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Airtel Tanzania, CCM’s YouTube channel, and the University of Dar es Salaam. While investigations into the incident were promptly announced by the Tanzania Police and Chief Government Spokesperson, no formal directive was issued to justify the shutdown. Nonetheless, major Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and ISPs including Vodacom, TTCL, Airtel, Yas, and Halotel blocked access to X without legal mandate or public explanation.
A Stark Contradiction: Hosting Africa IGF While Silencing Digital Spaces
The timing of this restriction has drawn particular scrutiny. Tanzania is currently preparing to host the continent’s premier digital policy convening, the AfIGF 2025, from 29–31 May in Dar es Salaam. The same Ministry responsible for coordinating the event the Ministry of Information, Communication and Information Technology is also the authority with the regulatory power to ensure access is restored. Hosting a forum themed ‘Empowering Africa’s Digital Future’ while restricting access to one of the most prominent digital platforms reveals a troubling contradiction. It severely undermines Tanzania’s credibility as a champion of digital rights and multi-stakeholder governance.
Adding to the contradictions, President Samia Suluhu Hassan is herself active on X, using the platform to communicate official government engagements and outreach underscoring internal inconsistencies within the government’s positioning towards the platform. While State House and key ministries maintain active X accounts, the general public was blocked from accessing or interacting with this content for nearly 48 hours and counting.
A Pattern of Suppression and Warnings Ignored
This is not the first time Tanzania has resorted to platform censorship. On 30 August 2024, authorities similarly disrupted access to X amid heightened online political engagement. That incident affected over 14 million users, cost the economy approximately USD 1.4 million, and triggered over 1,100 hours of cumulative internet downtime. At the time, IGTWG issued a cautionary statement published, warning against growing tendencies toward opaque and extrajudicial digital restrictions. In their February 2025 statement, IGTWG emphasized the need for lawful, rights-based approaches to digital governance. “Unfortunately, those warnings went unheeded,” the group noted in its latest release.
Legal and Democratic Ramifications
IGTWG’s 22 May statement contextualized these actions within a broader framework of human rights violations. It reaffirmed that access to the internet is a non-derogable right protected by Article 19 of both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as Article 18 of Tanzania’s own Constitution.
The group warned that continued restrictions on platforms such as X jeopardize:
- Electoral Transparency, especially as the 2025 General Elections approach;
- Economic Stability, given the digital dependence of Tanzania’s SMEs, civil society, and media sectors;
- Global Trust, with implications for Tanzania’s standing in regional and international digital policy circles.
IGTWG’s Recommendations
The group’s key demands include:
- To ISPs and MNOs: Immediately restore access to X and refrain from discriminatory traffic manipulation. Communicate transparently with users regarding any future interruptions.
- To Government and Regulators: Enforce constitutional due process before any digital restrictions and focus on targeted cybersecurity responses rather than broad disruptions.
- To Civil Society: Maintain oversight and documentation of digital rights violations and ensure that the digital space remains open, particularly during sensitive political periods.
Conclusion: A Digital Future in Doubt
Tanzania’s recent actions have not only silenced one of its most critical digital public spaces but also raised serious questions about its commitment to the very principles it is poised to promote at AfIGF 2025. For a country that aspires to lead Africa’s digital transformation, upholding access, transparency, and user rights must be more than rhetoric it must be practice.