Tanzania Blocks X After Police Account Hacked With Fake News

• May 21, 2025

Tanzania has blocked access to the social media platform X just hours after hackers took over the police’s official account. The cyberattack caused panic after the hacked account falsely claimed that President Samia Suluhu Hassan had died.

According to NetBlocks, an internet watchdog group, X became inaccessible on all major internet providers across Tanzania shortly after the incident. The group confirmed this through real-time data, stating that the platform (formerly known as Twitter) had gone offline following the fake announcement about the president.

“Live metrics show X (formerly Twitter) has become unreachable on major internet providers in #Tanzania,” NetBlocks posted. They added that the shutdown followed the police account's compromise, which deeply angered the government.

The hack came just a day after President Samia had publicly instructed police to take steps to “protect” social media platforms as part of efforts to safeguard national interests. Though government officials quickly denied the false news about the president’s death, the misinformation had already spread widely—prompting Tanzania’s second X blackout in under a year.

The Tanzania Police Force has since launched an investigation into the breach. In a statement, the police strongly condemned the cyberattack and warned against sharing the false claims. They clarified that all the content posted from their official account during the hack was fake and not released by the Force.

“The circulating information is entirely false. The Police Force does not, and would never, publish such content through its official platforms,” the statement read. Authorities assured the public that they are working to identify and prosecute those behind the attack.

The police further urged Tanzanians not to forward or share the misleading posts. “We urge members of the public to ignore the disinformation and avoid becoming channels for its distribution,” the statement said. They warned that anyone found creating, spreading, or supporting such content would face legal consequences.

This hack appears to be part of a broader attack, as similar false posts were seen on other high-profile X accounts in Tanzania. These included the accounts of Simba SC football club, media figure Odemba, and telecommunications company Airtel Tanzania. Each of these accounts also shared the same fake message before posting clarifications.