Tanzania
Tanzania is obliged to align its laws with international human rights standards in order to protect digital rights and freedom of expression offline including media freedom.
Tanzania is transitioning from a one party government to a multi party democracy. It is an East African country with a population of 61 million. Independent journalists and media outlets have been repressed in Tanzania, however, the current regime began lifting bans on media outlets in February 2022. The 2016 Media Services Act grants the government broad authority over media content and the licensing of outlets and journalists. It also authorises severe penalties, including prison terms, for publication of defamatory, seditious, or other illegal content. As digitalisation in Tanzania grows, both the government and citizens have become more reliant on the internet. There is an urgent need for the right to freedom of opinion and expression, access to information, equity and inclusion and the right to privacy to be protected online and offline.
14.4%
Households with internet access in 2017
16%
Individuals using internet in 2017
3.2
Fixed Broadband Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in 2017
123/180
Press Freedom Ranking in 2022
Upr cycle
Tanzania was last reviewed in October 2021.
Digital Rights and Free Expression Recommendations
Resources
Partner organisations
Over a hundred local and international human rights organisations are part of the wider Uproar programme. You can find them listed here.
Tanzania cluster
The country clusters are a local working group in each Uproar target country made up of our partner organisations. The clusters are organised by local lead organisations, who then coordinate local civil society and human rights defenders with digital rights expertise to engage in national-level advocacy and campaigning.