Subj : Widespread internet shutd
To : All
From : Mike Powell
Date : Fri Oct 31 2025 10:09 am
Widespread internet shutdown reported in Tanzania during general election
here's everything we know
Date:
Thu, 30 Oct 2025 16:55:26 +0000
Description:
Internet access has been severely restricted across Tanzania during a tense
general election. The blackout, confirmed by watchdog groups, is part of a
growing global trend of governments using internet shutdowns to control
information.
FULL STORY
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. #Tanzania is experiencing a near-complete #Internet outage amidst
election day protests. Traffic began falling around 09:30 UTC (12:30 local),
now over 90% lower than the previous week.
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 Internationals 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.
"The authorities have a constitutional responsibility to respect the human
rights of all"
-- Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty Internationals Regional Director for East and
Southern Africa
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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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/widespread-internet-shutdow
n-reported-in-tanzania-during-general-election-heres-everything-we-know
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