Widespread internet shutdown reported in Tanzania during general election – here's everything we know

• A nationwide internet shutdown has been reported across Tanzania
• This coincides with the Tanzanian general election and reported widespread protests
• Afghanistan imposed a similar block earlier this month

Tanzania is currently experiencing a major internet shutdown that coincides with its highly contentious general election.

Reports from across the country, later confirmed by internet monitoring group NetBlocks, show that connectivity has been severely degraded, with access to popular social media platforms and messaging services like X (formerly Twitter), WhatsApp, and Instagram being completely blocked for many users.

The disruption began as polls opened and has continued as post-election tensions rise. The shutdown has created an information vacuum, making it incredibly difficult for journalists, election monitors, and citizens to communicate and share information about the electoral process and the protests that have erupted in some regions. This blackout comes as the government has reportedly deployed the army to quell the spreading unrest.

This move to control the flow of information is a tactic increasingly seen around the world, particularly during times of political instability. By restricting access to the digital world, authorities can stifle dissent, prevent protesters from organizing, and control the narrative by limiting the spread of independent, on-the-ground reporting.

A familiar tactic on a global scale

The situation in Tanzania is not an isolated incident but rather part of a worrying global trend of governments resorting to internet shutdowns as a tool of control.

Digital rights organizations have documented numerous cases where national connectivity is throttled or completely cut off during elections, protests, or periods of civil unrest. Commenting on this instance of a complete shutdown, Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, said:

“A reported nationwide internet disruption in Tanzania threatens to further inflame the situation. The authorities must allow unrestricted access to information both online and offline by ensuring full internet access and allowing local and international media to report freely on the election. The authorities have a constitutional responsibility to respect the human rights of all before, during, and after the elections.” 

A similar, though even more extreme, situation was seen recently when Afghanistan completely shut down its internet.

In that case, the blackout was so total that not even the use of the best VPN services could provide a workaround for citizens, effectively cutting the entire nation off from the outside world.

While VPNs are often effective at bypassing censorship and content-specific blocks, they are powerless against a complete network shutdown where the core internet infrastructure is disabled.

The events in Tanzania and Afghanistan highlight the critical importance of a free and open internet, especially during moments of national significance.

Once a government decides to pull the plug, citizens are left isolated, vulnerable, and in the dark. Such actions restrict access to vital information, limit communication with the outside world, and undermine the fundamental rights of expression and assembly, often with devastating social consequences.

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