STATE OF PRESS FREEDOM IN SOUTHERN AFRICA REPORT 2021 51 Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan CREDIT: Modern Diplomacy In the rankings, Tanzania is followed by Rwanda, where data costs US$1.25 a gigabyte, Uganda (US$1.56) and Burundi (US$2.10). There, however, remains a huge digital divide as the majority of Tanzania’s population is in rural areas, where access to the internet is limited. SURVEILLANCE AND PRIVACY OF ONLINE COMMUNICATION Although Tanzania’s regressive online content regulations were reviewed in 2020, they still fall short of international human rights standards. Among other things, the regulations criminalise defamation, with anyone convicted of the offence liable to a fine of not less than 5 million shillings (US$2,500) or to imprisonment of not less than one year, or both the fine and jail sentence. The regulations also stifle freedom of expression and that of the press online by imposing punitive restrictions on anyone who comments about the Tanzanian economy, its currency and communicable diseases such as COVID-19 without the approval of “relevant authorities”. The imposition of severe penalties has thus resulted in a chilling effect, forcing many journalists and media organisations to operate in a climate of fear of reprisal from the government, hence resorting to high levels of selfcensorship. INDEPENDENT CONTENT PRODUCERS Tanzania, in 2021, placed heavy restrictions on independent content producers with the introduction of the Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations that introduced licensing and taxation of bloggers, radio and television webcasters as well as online discussion forums. The regulations introduced steep penalties even for minor offences, including imprisonment for at least a year and sweeping content removal powers. This promotes self-censorship and stifles creativity.