On Tuesday, May 20, Tanzania blocked access to X (formerly Twitter) after the country’s police X account was infiltrated by unknown hackers.
The X platform restriction in the country was revealed by internet observatory body, Netblocks, which confirmed that the Elon Musk-owned platform became unreachable on major internet providers in the country.
Netblocks asserted that the restriction was a precautionary measure taken by the government after the compromised police handle posted claims that President Samia Suluhu had died.
“Live metrics show X (formerly Twitter) 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,” the statement from Netblocks read.
For the better part of Tuesday, hackers not only took charge of the country’s police socials but also the ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) YouTube channel, disseminating false news of Suluhu’s demise.
After retaking control of the X account, Tanzania’s police force reiterated that they were tracking down the suspects involved in the cyberattack and urged Tanzanian citizens to ignore the information earlier spread by the hackers.
“While we continue to track down the criminals who fabricated and disseminated the information so that they are arrested, we urge the public to ignore the information and refrain from further dissemination if it reaches you. Strict action will be taken against anyone involved in the fabrication and dissemination of the information and anyone who continues to disseminate it,” the statement read in part.
The cyberattack came amid rising tension between Kenya and Tanzania after President Suluhu’s government blocked and deported Kenyan activists and a section of lawyers who had travelled to witness the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, accused of treason.
