The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology

Minister Jerry William Silaa

9 Communications Street, 

Government Town – Mtumba, 

PO Box 677, 40470 

Dodoma, Tanzania

Cc: Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) Director General Dr. Jabiri Kuwe Bakari

Vodacom Tanzania Limited Managing Director Phillip Bemisire  

MIC Tanzania Limited CEO Jérôme Albou

Airtel Tanzania Limited   Managing Director Charles Kamoto     

Viettel Tanzania Limited (Halotel) CEO Thang Van 

28 October 2025 

To the Minister of Communications and Information Technology

RE: Uphold Digital Rights During Elections

As Tanzania approaches its general election scheduled for October 29, 2025, the Net Rights Coalition, a network of Internet freedom activists who share knowledge and experiences to combat digital rights threats, calls on the government of Tanzania to respect and promote digital rights. This call is against the backdrop of the country’s declining digital rights, characterised by growing threats to online freedoms and a shrinking civic space. 

Between 2020 and 2025, Tanzania has become synonymous with rights violations, experiencing a troubling decline in respecting human rights and cracking down on online freedom of expression. Due to restrictions on access to information, free press, and freedom of speech ahead of elections in Tanzania, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) adopted Resolution 640 on the human rights situation in Tanzania, urging the country to uphold human rights, including freedom of expression and access to information, during the electoral period.

On September 6, 2025, the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA)  blocked access to a popular discussion and news platform JamiiForums, and suspended its licence for 90 days because the platform published content that purportedly “misleads the public,” “defames” the president, and undermines national unity.  This regrettable move is yet another instance of Tanzania’s troubling history of restricting internet access during critical national events, undermining fundamental rights to information and expression.

In August 2024 and in May 2025, access to X was blocked across Tanzania’s main internet service providers, disrupting communication and online discourse during politically sensitive periods. Users have also reported restricted access to TikTok and Instagram Live in recent months. Additionally, in 2023, the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) announced a strict ban on Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), undermining the rights of Tanzanian citizens to access information, communicate securely, and express themselves freely online. As a result of the ban, Tanzanians cannot use VPNs to access X, as they are considered unlawful in the country.  In 2020, in the lead-up to the Presidential elections, Tanzania suspended access to short message services (SMS) and disrupted access to Twitter, WhatsApp, and Telegram, a day before the election.

The empowering nature of the internet should never be seen as a threat but as an enabling tool for fundamental rights, as entrenched in the International human rights instruments which the Tanzania government is a party to and the Constitution of the Republic of Tanzania. Article 18 of Tanzania’s Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression, including the right to seek, receive, and impart information. Despite the entrenchment of freedom of expression and other related rights and freedoms in the Constitution, they are currently imperilled by the government’s crackdown actions. The NRC reminds the Tanzanian government of its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), which guarantee the protection of these fundamental human rights in articles 19 and 9, respectively.

We also remind the government of Tanzania of Principle 38(2) of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, which states that governments shall not engage in or condone any disruption of access to the internet and other digital technologies for segments of the public or an entire population. This is reinforced by the ACHPR Resolution 580 on Internet Shutdowns and Elections in Africa, which calls on state parties to take the necessary legislative and other measures to ensure unrestricted and uninterrupted access to the internet in the period leading up to, during and after elections. Ongoing violations are not justifiable or compatible with international human rights laws and standards. Furthermore, we remind all Internet Service Providers in Tanzania of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which outline the corporate responsibility of businesses to respect human rights. In this light, disclosing any government orders to shut down the internet demonstrates responsibility and a commitment to human rights.

 As such, we call on the following:

• The government of Tanzania should refrain from any internet shutdowns or throttling before, during, and after the general election. 
• The government of Tanzania should ensure full access to all social media platforms and promptly restore any services that are currently restricted.
• The government of Tanzania should refrain from arbitrary takedowns or blocking of online media platforms.
• Internet Service Providers publish transparency reports concerning any government requests and orders for internet shutdowns.

The government of Tanzania should refrain from banning VPNs to facilitate openness and privacy of communication, freedom of expression and access to information in the country. 

Signed:

African Internet Rights Alliance

Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative

Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA)

Fronts Numériques, France 

Initiatives for AI, Fact-Checking, Research, Digital Rights, and Development (FactCheck Africa)

Internet Governance Tanzania Working Group (IGTWG)

KICTANet

Kigali Attorneys and Partners LLP

Paradigm Initiative 

Tech & Media Convergency (TMC)

Dig It With Imani The Podcast 

Avocats Sans Frontières France