Tanzania orders restrictions on Instagram accounts over election content
Tanzania’s regulator asked Meta to restrict three Instagram accounts over election-related content, warning of possible platform blocks, as Meta confirms targeted limits on activist accounts.
The Tanzanian Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has asked Meta to limit access to three Instagram accounts, citing alleged breaches of several national laws.
TCRA said the accounts violated the Constitution of Tanzania (1977), the Cybercrimes Act (2015), the Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations (2020), and the Penal Code Cap. 16 R.E. 2022, the Media Services Act (2016), the National Security Act Cap 47 R.E. 2022, the Law of the Child Act Cap. 13 R.E. 2019, and the Personal Data Protection Act (2022).
According to the Authority, the content on the accounts included calls for peaceful protests and criticism of the government during the election period.
TCRA warned that failure to comply with its request could lead to a full block of Meta’s platforms in the country.
In response, Meta said it removed two items for violating its Community Standards and temporarily restricted access to one item in Tanzania following the regulator's demand.
The company also notified the affected user about the action.
Earlier, Meta confirmed that it restricted access to prominent Tanzanian activist Maria Sarungi-Tsehai’s Instagram account inside the East African nation following an order from the country’s regulator.
Meta confirmed the involvement of President Samia Suluhu’s administration in a response to CNN igniting intense debate over government pressure, free expression, and the company’s content moderation practices.
“Following a legal order from Tanzanian regulators, we have restricted access to this Instagram account in Tanzania in response to regulatory demands,” Meta responded.
The acknowledgement is one of the rare instances in which Meta has publicly confirmed compliance with a government request to restrict access to a high-profile activist’s account, particularly one involved in documenting alleged human rights violations.
Meta also confirmed that it removed the Instagram and WhatsApp accounts of US-based Tanzanian activist Mange Kimambi, but said the move was unrelated to government pressure.
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