26/05/2025
Can We Afford Another Internet Shutdown?
In the wake of the General Election in 2020, tensions arose between the government and the leading opposition party, CHADEMA, resulting in a total internet shutdown in Tanzania. During this period, the NetBlocks Cost Shutdown Tool estimated the economic impact of the disruption, including mobile data blackouts and app restrictions, using data from the World Bank, ITU, Eurostat, and the US Census.
The entire country experienced an internet blackout lasting almost seven days. During this time, popular services like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok WhatsApp, and Instagram were blocked, filtered, or throttled.
Many sectors were severely affected: transport companies like Uber and Bolt, businesses and entrepreneurs who relied on online sales and marketing, large companies running online advertisements, and clients who had purchased mobile data bundles found their services completely disrupted. Web developers, graphic designers, internet marketing firms, and freelancers were also impacted, leading to widespread losses.
In summary, Tanzania's e-commerce economy faced a significant shutdown, with NetBlocks estimating a loss of approximately $20,009,533, or TZS 46,002,987,386, within just seven days of the total internet shutdown. This figure is based on the exchange rate from 2019, which was TZS2200 TZS to US$1 at that time, different from the current exchange, which standards at USA$1 to TZS2600.
The country lost a substantial amount of money, and we cannot afford another shutdown cause since Monday this week, Tanzanian Authorities had the X App, formerly known as Twitter, shut down after the Police Force handle was hacked. But the question remains: Who cares?
