Tanzania Blocks Access to Social Media Platform X, Citing Pornographic Content Violations
Tanzania has recently made the decision to block access to the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. This move was made due to the presence of pornographic material that was found to be in violation of national laws and cultural norms. Information Minister Jerry Silaa confirmed this decision, stating that X’s policy allowing for the distribution of adult content was not in line with Tanzanian laws and traditional values.
On May 20, access to X was abruptly cut off, coinciding with the hacking of official government accounts. Hackers took control of the police force’s X profile and falsely announced the death of President Samia Suluhu Hassan. Additionally, the Tanzania Revenue Authority’s YouTube account was breached and used to spread pornographic content. This series of events has raised concerns about cybersecurity and content moderation on social media platforms.
While the government has cited content violations as the reason for blocking X, critics believe that this move is part of a larger pattern of restricting opposition voices ahead of the upcoming elections in October. Tanzania has a history of limiting access to social media platforms during politically sensitive periods.
Information Minister Jerry Silaa emphasized that the government will continue to monitor online platforms for violations of Tanzanian law. He warned that similar actions could be taken against other services if they are found to be in breach of regulations.
“If you notice that certain content on YouTube or other networks is suddenly unavailable, then know that the government is taking steps to protect consumers,” Silaa stated.
