Tanzania has blocked access to X, the internet watchdog NetBlocks reported on Tuesday, hours after the country’s police force’s account on the social media platform was hacked.
NetBlocks data showed that X was down across Tanzania’s major internet service providers (ISPs) Halotel, Airtel, Liquid Telecom, Habari Node, and Vodacom.
“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 [sic] the President has died, angering the country’s leadership,” the London-based internet freedom monitor said in a Mastodon update some minutes past 9 p.m. EAT.
The Tanzania Police Force X handle (@tanpol) was compromised early Tuesday and began posting false information such as claims that President Samia Suluhu was dead.
The account has over 470,000 followers and even held a live broadcast. Authorities later regained control of the account and said they were pursuing the culprits.
The hack came amid the ongoing uproar against President Suluhu’s administration after several East African activists and lawyers were deported and others arrested after travelling to the country to observe opposition leader Tundu Lissu’s treason trial on Monday.