A non-profit organisation, Paradigm Initiative (PIN), has raised concerns over Tanzania’s election-period internet blackout and the continued suspension of X (formerly Twitter).
The Executive Director of PIN, Mr. Gbenga Sesan, said during a virtual media briefing that parts of the country were still experiencing bandwidth throttling despite the restoration of general internet connectivity on November 3.
The blackout, imposed after protests erupted on Tanzania’s election day, October 29, lasted five days and six hours (126 hours). According to Sesan, such disruptions are “economically devastating and deeply damaging to digital rights.”
Using the NetBlocks Cost of Shutdown Tool (COST), PIN estimated the nationwide internet shutdown cost the Tanzanian economy at least $72.3 million (TZS 170.27 billion), averaging about $13.8 million (TZS 32 billion) per day.
The prolonged suspension of X, in force for 166 days, has led to an additional loss of approximately $165.8 million (TZS 390.33 billion), nearly $1 million (TZS 2.3 billion) per day. Combined, the two incidents have cost over $238 million (TZS 560 billion) in direct losses to productivity, trade, and digital services.
Sesan highlighted additional consequences, including socio-political impacts, setbacks in health services, growth of information black markets, and disruptions to the informal economy such as mobile payments.
He noted that the COST model, which relies on data from the World Bank, ITU, and Eurostat and uses Brookings Institution methodology, provides globally recognized, evidence-based estimates of the economic impact of internet shutdowns.
“Every shutdown chips away at trust, investment, and human potential. Governments must realise that connectivity is the foundation of opportunity,” Sesan said. “Shutting down the internet silences citizens, stalls economies, and sets entire nations back.”
Sesan reminded the Tanzanian government of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights Resolution 580, which calls on states to ensure unrestricted internet access before, during, and after elections.
He urged the government to restore access to X and all restricted platforms, cease further internet disruptions, and ensure Internet Service Providers (ISPs) maintain network stability. He also called for ISPs to publish transparency reports whenever ordered to shut down or throttle services.
“This is an affront to freedom of expression and access to information, as guaranteed by the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” Sesan said.
