Tanzania’s government has officially confirmed the blocking of access to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), citing the platform’s allowance of pornographic content as the primary reason. Information Minister Jerry Silaa told a local television station that X’s content policies contradict the East African nation’s “laws, culture, customs, and traditions.” Silaa specifically referenced X’s 2024 decision to permit “consensually produced and distributed” adult content, including same-sex pornography, as a breach of Tanzania’s online ethics guidelines.
The restriction follows weeks of reported difficulties accessing X, which intensified after the official police account was hacked and used to spread pornographic material and false claims about President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s death. The hacking also affected the tax authority’s YouTube account, according to AFP.
Tanzanian rights groups, including the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC), have condemned the move as part of a “troubling pattern of digital repression,” especially in the run-up to the October 2025 presidential and parliamentary elections. LHRC noted that similar restrictions were imposed ahead of the 2020 elections and raised concerns about the openness of digital space in Tanzania. The group also pointed out the inconsistency of government officials continuing to use X even as it is blocked for ordinary citizens.
