Tanzania had blocked access to X following a cybersecurity breach involving the official X account of the Tanzania Police Force (TANPOL).
It was reported that hackers gained access to the account Police Force’s official account and posted false claims about President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s death and explicit content.
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The posts sparked panic across the entire nation untill a notice was later issued by government to debunked the claim.
In response to this, the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) ordered internet service providers, including to restrict access to X.
The government cited that citing national security and the need to curb disinformation.
The internet monitoring group NetBlocks confirmed the nationwide disruption, noting X was inaccessible without a virtual private network (VPN).
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What’s more interesting for users is that the use of VPNs without permits is illegal and punishable by fines or jail time.
This marks the second X blackout in Tanzania within a year, following a similar restriction in August 2024 linked to opposition protests.