Concern as 80 000 online platforms purged

Tanzania has shut down over 80 000 websites, social media accounts, blogs, and online platforms in the country’s most extensive digital content purge, reports TechCabal. The government said the move was meant to protect children’s mental health, but critics said it also signalled a growing appetite for online censorship. On Monday, Hamis Mwijuma, the Deputy Minister for Information, Culture, Arts, & Sports, told Parliament that the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) had identified 80 171 platforms ‘publishing unethical content that poses a risk to children’s mental health.’ The scale of the crackdown points to a wider state campaign that’s evolved over the past decade. In 2017, Tanzania’s Parliament passed the Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations, with additional amendments in 2020. These laws criminalise content considered indecent, obscene, hateful, or disruptive to public order. Offenders face up to 12 months in prison, fines or both. The regulations give the TCRA sweeping powers to police social media, including blogs and private accounts. But critics say the government is using child protection as cover for a wider crackdown on dissent. No public information exists on how platforms are flagged, whether takedowns can be appealed, or if affected creators were given notice.

Full TechCabal report