While the government claims the move is intended to safeguard children’s mental health, it also raises concerns about increasing censorship.Tanzania has shut down more than 80,000 websites, social media accounts, blogs, and online platforms in what marks the country’s largest digital content purge to date.
Deputy Minister for Information, Culture, Arts, and Sports, Hamis Mwijuma, told parliament on Monday that the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) had flagged 80,171 platforms for publishing content deemed harmful to children’s mental well-being. He was responding to a question from MP Ng’wasi Kamani about the government’s approach to controlling social media.
This massive crackdown is part of a broader state campaign that has developed over the past decade. In 2017, Tanzania passed the Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations, with amendments in 2020, criminalizing content that is deemed indecent, obscene, hateful, or disruptive to public order. Offenders can face up to 12 months in prison, fines of 5 million TSH (about $1,858), or both. The regulations grant the TCRA extensive powers to monitor and control online platforms, including blogs and private accounts.
Emmanuel Chenze, Chief Operating Officer at African Uncensored, a Kenyan investigative media company, pointed out that this is not the first such crackdown. “Seven years ago, during President Magufuli’s administration, content creators were required to register and be licensed to share information,” he said. “For a country with this history, this news is hardly a sign of progress.”
In October 2024, the government suspended the digital unit of Mwananchi Communications, a subsidiary of Nation Media Group, after an animated video depicting relatives searching for missing loved ones featured a character resembling President Samia Suluhu Hassan. The TCRA claimed the video threatened public order and tarnished the country’s image, leading to a 30-day suspension of the platform’s online licenses.
While Mwijuma also stated that the government is training journalists and digital content creators to spot fake news and maintain a “safe cultural environment” for children, critics argue that the government is using child protection as a guise for stifling dissent. There is little transparency regarding how platforms are flagged, whether takedowns can be appealed, or if creators receive notice of the removals.
“There’s a thin line between cracking down on harmful content and outright gagging,” Chenze said. “Measures like these can easily be weaponized to silence opposing voices.”
The Tanzanian government has not provided clear definitions of harmful content, nor outlined how these decisions are made or reviewed. Yet, it continues to assert greater control over online expression, determining who can speak and what can be said.