If you’re in Tanzania and want to post on X, forget about it. The East African nation on Wednesday blocked access to the social media platform, because it allowed pornographic content to be shared.
Speaking to a local TV station, Tanzania's Minister of Information Jerry Silaa criticized the platform's policies, saying it contradicted Tanzania’s "laws, culture, customs, and traditions".
For context - X announced in May 2024 that it would no longer block "consensually produced and distributed" adult content. That means the policy has been around for a little over a year.
Interestingly, though, Tanzania announced the X shutdown just two weeks after government-linked accounts were hacked.
Legal and Human Rights Centre, a Tanzanian rights group, said it reflected a "troubling pattern of digital repression". Ahead of October's presidential and parliamentary elections, many have accused Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan of increasingly repressive policies.
According to LHRC, government officials and public institutions continued to use the platform,” undermining the credibility of the government's position".
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