Net Rights Coalition calls on Tanzania to stop restricting access to X

Stanley Ihedigbo

Net Rights Coalition (NRC), comprising 13  group are appalled by the blocking of the social media application, X, on Tanzania’s main internet service providers, which occurred on August 30, in response to alleged opposition party plans to raid police stations where political prisoners may be held.

They said that the regrettable move was  yet another instance of Tanzania’s troubling history of restricting internet access during critical national events, undermining fundamental rights to information and expression.

According to a statement signed by the group, they noted in 2020, Tanzania enacted restrictive legislation related to freedom of expression, such as Regulation 16(2) of the Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations 2020.

“In 2020, in the lead-up to the Presidential elections, Tanzania suspended access to short message services and a day before the election, disrupted access to Twitter, WhatsApp and Telegram.

Zaina Foundation reported that the Internet shutdown and denial of service from mobile telephone networks undermined election day activities.

They further noted that in 2023, the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) announced a stringent ban on Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), undermining the rights of Tanzanian citizens to access information, communicate securely, and express themselves freely online.

As a network promoting digital rights in Africa, they  condemned the confirmed internet disruption in the country which limited access to X.

Tanzania is among the countries that experienced internet outages earlier this year as a result of faults in the under-sea cables that connect the region to the rest of the world through South Africa.

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 most importantly the Tanzanian Constitution, to thrive.

Article 18 of Tanzania’s Constitution guarantees every person the right to freedom of expression but also the right to seek, receive and impart information. However, despite freedom of expression being entrenched in the Tanzanian Constitution, these rights 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 guarantees the protection of these fundamental human rights.

They  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 States 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 blatant violation of human rights is not justifiable or compatible with international human rights laws and standards.

Furthermore, they advised 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 shows responsibility and commitment to human rights.

As such, we demand the following, “The government of Tanzania should cease internet disruptions and restore full access to the internet and social media platforms immediately. Internet Service Providers should disclose information concerning any government orders for internet shutdowns.

“The government of Tanzania should immediately allow end-to-end encryption and make VPNs legally available for use by everyone, especially human rights defenders, journalists, and others at risk around the world,” they stated.

The groups are, Afroleadership Cameroon; African Internet Rights Alliance (AIRA); Consortium of Ethiopian Human Rights Organizations (CEHRO Ethiopia); Digital Action; Human Rights Journalists Network Nigeria; and Kigali Attorneys and Legal Consultants LLP.

Also, Knowledge Discovery (KnowledgeHouseAfrica); Media Council of Malawi; Paradigm Initiative; The Colonist Report; The Colonist Report Africa; West African Digital Rights Defenders coalition and Zaina Foundation.