Tanzania Shuts Down X after a Police Account was Hacked to Spread False News about the President’s Death

Tanzania has shut down the social media platform X (which used to be called Twitter) after a serious problem happened. The official Tanzania Police Force (TANPOL) account on X was hacked. Someone took control of the police’s account and posted false news saying that President Samia Suluhu Hassan had died. This fake news caused a lot of confusion and anger among the country’s leaders. Because of this, the government decided to block X on major internet providers in Tanzania.

The hacked police account has many followers, and when the false message about the president’s death was shared, many people saw it and got worried. The police and government quickly said the news was not true and started looking for the people who hacked the account. The Minister of Information, Jerry William Silaa, said that the police account and the tax authority’s YouTube account were hacked because their security was not strong enough. But now, those accounts are back under control.

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This is not the first time Tanzania has shut down X. Just a few months ago, in August 2024, the government also blocked X after arresting an opposition leader named Tundu Lissu. The political situation in Tanzania is tense right now. Tundu Lissu, who survived an attack in 2017, has been arrested again and charged with treason. His party, Chadema, is not allowed to take part in the next presidential election in October 2025. Things got even more tense when Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan lawyer Agather Atuhaire were detained in Tanzania. They were in the country doing civil society work related to Lissu’s case, but now their whereabouts are unknown.

Besides shutting down X after the police account was hacked, Tanzania has been blocking many websites and social media accounts recently. Earlier this year, the government shut down over 80,000 websites, blogs, and social media pages. They said this was to protect children’s mental health. But many people think the government is using this as an excuse to stop people from speaking out against them.

The government has also made strict rules about using the internet. For example, they banned people from using VPNs (tools that help keep your internet use private) without permission. If someone uses a VPN without approval, they can be fined a lot of money or even go to jail. These rules give the government a lot of control over what people can say and see online.

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Tanzania shutting down X after the police account was hacked shows a worrying trend. Many countries in East Africa, like Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Sudan, have also been limiting internet access and social media, especially during elections or protests. This makes it harder for people to share information and express their opinions freely.

Tanzania shutting down X after the police account was hacked to spread false news about the president’s death is part of a bigger problem. The government is tightening control over the internet and social media, especially as the country prepares for important elections. Many people are worried about what this means for freedom of speech and access to information in Tanzania.

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