Tanzania experienced at least three nationwide internet restrictions during 2025, part of a troubling pattern of digital censorship that has affected eight out of ten Africans since 2015, according to data from Surfshark’s Internet Shutdown Tracker.
The most recent disruptions occurred during the country’s controversial presidential election on October 29 and again on October 30, when authorities imposed near-complete internet blackouts as protests erupted across the East African nation. Network monitoring organization NetBlocks documented connectivity dropping more than 90 percent below normal levels as polling stations opened on election day.
The blackouts came as President Samia Suluhu Hassan faced voters in an election widely criticized for excluding key opposition candidates. With major rivals barred from the ballot, detained, or forced to withdraw, Hassan won 97.66 percent of the vote according to official results announced Saturday, though opposition groups claimed hundreds died in post-election violence.
Tanzania’s first internet restriction of 2025 actually occurred months earlier, on May 20, when authorities banned X, formerly known as Twitter. That restriction remains in effect today, creating a sustained information barrier that predates the election period. Rights advocates have characterized the X ban as a major blow to free expression online.
Internet shutdowns aren’t new to Tanzania. During the 2020 presidential election, authorities restricted Twitter, WhatsApp, backend servers for Instagram, and some Google services including Gmail and Translate. These restrictions affected users across Tanzania’s leading network operators: Vodacom, Airtel, Tigo, Halotel, and ZanTel.
The pattern reveals a deliberate strategy deployed during politically sensitive moments. By cutting digital communications, governments create information vacuums that make it incredibly difficult for journalists, election monitors, and citizens to share information about electoral processes and protests. This blackout comes as the government has reportedly deployed the army to quell spreading unrest.
Internet restrictions in Tanzania reflect a growing trend of governments limiting access during political unrest, impacting safety and essential information flow, said Justas Pukys, a privacy expert at Surfshark. These shutdowns disrupt daily life, from business to education, and pose a significant threat to open internet and free speech in the region.
Africa has become the second most intensive region globally for internet shutdowns, trailing only Asia. Surfshark’s comprehensive tracking since 2015 shows that 38 African countries have experienced some type of internet disruption, with half of those restrictions occurring around elections. The data paints a stark picture: 8 out of 10 Africans have been hit by internet shutdowns over the past decade.
The human toll extends far beyond inconvenience. When authorities cut connectivity, businesses cannot process payments, students lose access to educational resources, hospitals struggle to coordinate patient care, and families can’t check on loved ones during crises. Emergency services may be compromised, and the economic losses mount rapidly.
Tanzania’s October blackouts created particularly dangerous conditions because they coincided with violent protests. Witnesses reported demonstrators setting a bus and gas station ablaze in Dar es Salaam neighborhoods including Kimara and Ubungo. Additional protests erupted in Magomeni, Kinondoni, and Tandale. The United States Embassy issued a security alert warning of countrywide protests in multiple locations.
Without internet access, residents couldn’t share real-time information about where violence was occurring, which routes were safe, or where emergency services were needed. The information vacuum left people vulnerable and isolated during a period when digital communications could have saved lives.
Digital rights organizations have documented this playbook being used repeatedly across Africa. Mozambique’s government imposed its second internet shutdown in two weeks during November 2024, amid protests over election results. Senegal’s authorities shut down mobile internet in February 2024 after President Macky Sall postponed elections, and the country experienced its third shutdown in nine months later that year due to violence in specific regions.
Kenya provides a contrasting example. In June 2024, as protests erupted over a controversial finance bill, the Communications Authority of Kenya pledged not to shut down the internet. That commitment, though tested by political pressure, demonstrated that governments can choose transparency over control even during unrest.
The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority has maintained a pattern of denial regarding internet restrictions. Last year, when Internet Service Providers including Airtel, Vodacom, Halotel, and TTCL blocked X for nearly a day as activists used the platform to raise alarm over abductions and killings, TCRA denied involvement. The regulatory authority then deleted its own X accounts without explanation, fueling suspicion about its role in censorship.
Pukys emphasized that citizens should take proactive steps to protect themselves when internet restrictions loom. With the situation changing quickly, it’s important for people to keep up with news from local and international sources, he advised. They should also take steps to protect their privacy by using secure communication tools like private messaging apps, encrypted email services, and VPNs.
Virtual Private Networks have become crucial tools for accessing information during shutdowns. The Proton VPN Observatory documented a 12,000 percent spike in VPN usage over baseline levels in Togo when protesters called for the president’s resignation following controversial constitutional changes. Similar patterns emerged across countries experiencing restrictions.
However, some governments have responded by restricting VPN usage itself. According to Surfshark research, 15 countries have imposed restrictions on VPN usage either currently or in the past, including Egypt, Uganda, Tanzania, China, India, Iran, Iraq, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, the United Arab Emirates, Belarus, and Russia. These restrictions have affected 3.7 billion people in total, nearly half the global population.
VPN providers have adapted by offering obfuscated servers that disguise VPN traffic as regular internet activity, making it harder for authorities to detect and block. Companies like NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, and Proton VPN all provide these features. Many also offer emergency VPN subscriptions to journalists, activists, and anyone living under internet censorship who cannot access a free and open internet.
The global picture remains sobering. Surfshark’s Internet Shutdown Tracker shows that 85 countries have disrupted internet access since 2015, affecting more than 6.1 billion users in total. Asia leads with nine out of ten Asians affected, while Africa follows as the second most restricted region.
India remains the world’s largest internet shutdown offender, with 123 cases recorded since 2015. Some Indian restrictions have lasted for months in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. During the first half of 2025 alone, 24 internet restrictions were recorded across 10 countries, already exceeding rates from the previous year.
Protests triggered the majority of government-imposed restrictions globally, accounting for more than two-thirds of new disruptions. Elections accounted for additional cases, with governments repeatedly choosing to silence citizens rather than allow free communication during democratic processes.
Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, condemned Tanzania’s election blackout in strong terms. A reported nationwide internet disruption in Tanzania threatens to further inflame the situation, Chagutah stated. 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 economic costs of shutdowns are staggering. Each hour of connectivity loss translates to millions in lost business transactions, disrupted supply chains, and diminished investor confidence. Over time, countries that regularly shut down the internet face reputational damage that makes international companies hesitant to invest or establish operations there.
Tanzania’s repeated use of shutdowns signals to potential investors that digital infrastructure cannot be relied upon, potentially stunting economic development. The country’s tourism sector, increasingly dependent on digital bookings and social media marketing, suffers when visitors see news of internet blackouts. Technology startups struggle to attract venture capital when connectivity is treated as a privilege authorities can revoke at will.
For ordinary Tanzanians, the restrictions carry deeply personal costs. Students preparing for exams lose access to online resources. Small business owners cannot process mobile payments or communicate with suppliers. Families separated by distance cannot video call to check on elderly relatives or share in celebrations. Journalists cannot report on crucial events, leaving citizens uninformed about matters affecting their lives and communities.
The situation has prompted calls for international action. Digital rights organizations argue that internet access has become so fundamental to modern life that cutting it during political events violates basic human rights. Some advocates have pushed for United Nations resolutions specifically addressing election-period internet shutdowns, though enforcement mechanisms remain weak.
Looking ahead, experts worry the trend will intensify rather than diminish. As governments observe the perceived effectiveness of shutdowns in other countries, they become more willing to employ the tactic themselves. The normalization of internet restrictions as a governance tool threatens to undermine decades of progress toward global connectivity and information freedom.
Pukys concluded with an urgent message for those living in countries vulnerable to shutdowns. People need to prepare before restrictions hit by downloading VPN apps, securing encrypted communication tools, and establishing alternative ways to stay informed and connected. Once the internet goes dark, it’s too late to take these protective measures.
Tanzania’s three internet restrictions in 2025 represent more than technical disruptions. They symbolize a government’s choice to prioritize control over transparency, silence over dialogue, and isolation over connection. Whether Tanzania will join countries like Kenya in committing to maintain connectivity during political events, or continue following the restrictive playbook deployed in 2020, remains to be seen.
For now, Tanzanians face an uncertain digital future where internet access can vanish without warning whenever authorities perceive a threat to their power. That uncertainty affects not just political activists but every citizen who depends on digital connectivity for work, education, health, safety, and staying connected with loved ones in an increasingly networked world.
