By Deborah Nnamdi
Access to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) was restricted in Tanzania on Wednesday after hackers took over a police account and falsely announced the death of the president, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks.
The incident coincides with the mysterious disappearance of activists Boniface Mwangi from Kenya and Agather Atuhaire from Uganda, who were reportedly arrested by Tanzanian authorities earlier this week. The two were in the country to attend the trial of opposition figure Tundu Lissu, who faces treason charges ahead of October’s national elections.
According to an AFP journalist, Tanzanian users were only able to access X through Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) as of Wednesday.
“Live metrics show X has become inaccessible on major internet providers in Tanzania,” NetBlocks reported late Tuesday.
“This follows a breach of a police account that posted false claims about the president’s death, triggering a strong reaction from the government.”
Tanzania’s Minister of Information, Communications and Technology, Jerry William Silaa, confirmed in parliament that both the police account and the YouTube channel of the national tax authority had been compromised due to weak security protocols. He assured lawmakers that both accounts had since been restored.
Police have launched an investigation to identify those responsible for the cyberattack and distribution of false information. Authorities also issued a warning to the public against sharing or spreading the fake news.
