SECTOR 1 1.9 The state does not seek to block or filter Internet content unless in accordance with laws that provide for restrictions that serve a legitimate interest and are necessary in a democratic society, and which are applied by independent courts. There have been incidents where the state has sought to block internet content that was critical of the government and ruling party in general. No such cases have gone before the courts, however, and there is currently no requirement that a court warrant first needs to be obtained before a site is blocked. “In other incidents where bloggers have been told by state officials to remove specific content, and they have been bold enough to refuse, these websites have subsequently been denied government advertising.” The JamiiForums website (previously known as JamboForums), which has become a very popular online forum for social debate in Tanzania, has also been a target of state ire. The site’s founders, Maxence Melo and Mike KcKee, have been intimidated and threatened numerous times by state actors who have claimed that user-generated content on the site was defamatory. Because the website’s servers are in the United States, the Tanzanian government could not actually shut down JamiiForums. Jamiiforums was targeted during a parliamentary session early 2015 when MPs warned the founders that the new Cybercrimes Law would “get them”. While panellists felt there was generally no obvious blocking of content by the state, and no judicial procedures or systems in place yet to permit this, “such blocking may take place without people even being aware of it”. It was noted that the TCRA apparently has a new monitoring device. In the past it used a device to filter key words in e-mails, SMSes and on websites, including social media such as Facebook and Twitter. “They cannot monitor WhatsApp and BBM though.” AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER Tanzania 2015 23