Tanzania has moved to block access to the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, due to its allowance of pornographic content, according to Information Minister Jerry Silaa. Speaking to a local television outlet, Silaa said the platform’s content contravenes the East African nation’s laws, cultural values, and traditions.

The platform has been intermittently inaccessible in Tanzania for the past two weeks, coinciding with heightened political tensions and the hacking of the national police account. However, a full shutdown has yet to be implemented.

The Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC), a Tanzanian civil rights organization, criticized the government’s move on X, calling it part of a “troubling pattern of digital repression” ahead of the country’s presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for October. The group also pointed to a similar blackout of the platform during the lead-up to the 2020 elections, raising concerns over the state of digital freedom in Tanzania.

In addition to X, platforms such as Clubhouse and Telegram have also become inaccessible without the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), the LHRC said. The organization expressed alarm that while the government is actively restricting public access, officials and public institutions continue to use X, undermining the credibility of the government’s position.

Minister Silaa defended the restrictions, citing X’s 2023 policy shift to allow “consensually produced and distributed” adult content, including same-sex material, which he argued breaches Tanzania’s online ethics code. He emphasized that efforts to limit access are part of a broader strategy to ensure digital platforms comply with national regulations. Silaa also noted that certain YouTube content has been similarly restricted for violating local standards.

The digital clampdown follows a cyberattack on the official police X account, which was used to disseminate pornographic content and false information, including a fabricated announcement of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s death. AFP reported that the YouTube channel of the Tanzania Revenue Authority was also compromised, displaying similar content.

The source of the cyberattacks remains unknown, but they coincided with a wave of arrests targeting Kenyan and Ugandan human rights activists who traveled to Tanzania to support opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Lissu, facing treason charges, has called for an election boycott unless reforms are enacted to ensure free and fair polls. He denies the charges, characterizing them as politically motivated.

Among those affected was former Kenyan Justice Minister Martha Karua, who was deported upon arrival in Dar es Salaam. Other activists, including Kenyan Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan Agather Atuhaire, were detained. Upon their return home, both reported being sexually assaulted while in custody. Atuhaire told the BBC she was blindfolded, stripped, and assaulted, while Mwangi described being abused and forced to thank Tanzanian authorities in Swahili.

Dar es Salaam’s police chief has dismissed the allegations as “hearsay” and “personal opinions.” However, human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have called for an independent investigation and accountability for what they describe as “inhuman” treatment.

President Samia has pushed back against foreign involvement in Tanzania’s internal affairs, warning that activists from neighboring countries will not be allowed to “sow chaos.”

Initially lauded for opening political space following the 2021 death of her predecessor, John Magufuli, President Samia is now facing growing criticism. As she prepares for her first electoral campaign as the ruling party’s candidate, opponents argue she is adopting increasingly authoritarian tactics reminiscent of her predecessor’s rule.

Despite the criticism, the Tanzanian government maintains that the country remains a stable democracy and that the upcoming elections will be transparent and fair.