Tanzanian authorities shut down access to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday following a cyberattack that saw hackers take control of a police account and falsely announce the death of the president, Samia Hassan.
According to internet watchdog NetBlocks, users across Tanzania were unable to access X unless through Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), as the government moved swiftly to contain the spread of the false information.
“Live metrics show X has become unreachable on major internet providers in Tanzania; the incident comes as a compromised police account posts claims the President has died, angering the country’s leadership,” NetBlocks said in a statement late Tuesday.
The disruption comes at a time of heightened political tension and agitations in the country.
Prominent East African activists, Boniface Mwangi, from Kenya and Agather Atuhaire from Uganda remain missing after being arrested earlier in the week by Tanzanian police.
The pair had travelled to Tanzania to observe the trial of opposition leader, Tundu Lissu, who faces treason charges ahead of the October general elections.
In parliament, Minister of Information, Communications and Technology Jerry William Silaa confirmed the hack, revealing that the YouTube account of the Tanzania Revenue Authority had also been compromised.
“The reason these accounts were compromised is that their security protocols were not sufficiently robust. These accounts have since been restored,” Silaa said.
Tanzanian police announced they are pursuing the perpetrators behind the cyberattack and urged the public not to share the false messages
