Authorities in Tanzania have cut off access to the social media platform X after hackers took over the official account of the country’s police and used it to spread false news about President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
The trouble began when the compromised police account on X posted a message claiming that the president had died.
The post quickly gained attention online and caused confusion among users, prompting a strong reaction from the government.
In response, access to X was blocked across major internet providers in the country, according to online activity monitoring service Netblocks.
Tanzania’s police force later issued a public statement to distance itself from the false announcement.
The statement made it clear that the information did not come from the police and warned the public not to share or believe such misleading news.
The force also promised to find and arrest those responsible for the hacking and the spread of the fake message.
The shutdown of X follows rising concern in Tanzania over the use of digital platforms to spread harmful and fake information.
The government’s decision to restrict access is seen as a way to stop further confusion and maintain order while investigations continue.
The president has been confirmed to be alive and well, and officials are working to restore normalcy after the disruption.
