Tanzania’s $238m Loss to Internet Blackout Raises Concern - PIN

Paradigm Initiative (PIN) has expressed worries that Tanzania’s election-period internet blackout and the continued suspension of X (formerly Twitter), which have cost the East African country over $238 million, are infringements on the citizens’ digital rights.

The digital rights advocacy group said in a statement on Wednesday, 5 November, stating that it remained concerned about the ongoing bandwidth throttling reported in parts of the country even after general connectivity was restored on 3 November.

It stressed that the disruptions are economically devastating and deeply damaging to digital rights.

It said this blatant defiance comes against calls by the Net Rights Coalition and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to refrain from shutting down the internet, as it is an affront to freedom of expression and access to information in terms of articles 9 and 19 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, respectively.

It noted that there is a real economic loss incurred through internet shutdowns, which violates the right to development entrenched in Article 22 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, to which Tanzania is a state party.

The internet shutdown during elections came at a time when the Tanzanian government had suspended access to X since 21 May 2025.

“According to the NetBlocks Cost of Shutdown Tool (COST), the two incidents have cost the Tanzanian economy more than US $238 million (Tsh 560 billion) in direct losses to productivity, trade, and digital services.

“The nationwide total internet shutdown, which lasted from 29 October to 3 November 2025, spanning 5 days and 6 hours (126 hours), translates to a loss of at least US $72,333,826 (TZS 170.27 billion), which is about US $13.8 million (TZS 32 billion) per day.

“Suspension of X, which has been in force since 21 May 2025 (166 days and counting), translates to a loss of US $165,817,059 (TZS 390.33 billion), which is nearly US $1 million (TZS 2.3 billion) per day,” PIN stated.

It stressed that the combined economic loss translates to over US $238 million (TZS 560 billion) in direct losses to productivity, trade, and digital services. The digital rights advocacy group noted that other losses include socio-political, security, information black markets, health setbacks, informal economy (mobile payments, etc.), and more.

NetBlocks’ COST model, which draws on data from the World Bank, ITU, and Eurostat, uses the Brookings Institution methodology to quantify the direct economic harm of shutdowns and platform blocks.

The tool is recognised globally for offering conservative, evidence-based estimates used by governments, the UN, and civil society researchers.

“Every shutdown chips away at trust, investment, and human potential,” said the Executive Director of PIN, ‘Gbenga Sesan. “Governments must realise that in today’s world, connectivity is the foundation of opportunity. Shutting down the internet silences citizens, stalls economies, and sets entire nations back.”

It urged the government of Tanzania to adopt the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights Resolution 580 on Internet Shutdowns and Elections in Africa, which calls on state parties to take the necessary legislative and other measures to ensure unrestricted and uninterrupted access to the internet in the period leading up to, during, and after elections.

It also called on them to comply with human rights by immediately restoring internet access to X and all restricted platforms and to cease further internet or platform disruptions, especially during democratic processes.

PIN added that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) should guarantee network stability and freedom from interference and publish transparency reports whenever they are ordered to shut down or throttle services by the State.

Pinnacle Daily reports that the newly elected President of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, was sworn in on Monday, November 3. She had played down days of bloody protests with an internet blackout; the opposition says hundreds were killed.