SECTOR 1 social media users liable for content that is ‘…indecent, obscene or that lead to public disorder,’ among other vague provisions. Social media users also face the risk of prosecution under the 2015 Cybercrimes Act, which criminalises, among other issues, insulting the president online. The government has also threatened to prosecute its users for supposedly spreading homosexuality through social media – under current law, homosexuality is illegal in Tanzania. Groups and defenders advocating for the rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Allied (LGBTQIA+) individuals have also been equally persecuted. In 2018, the government announced the formation of a surveillance team dedicated to ‘hunting down’ gay people. The right to assemble is also limited and a ban on political rallies and public protests has been in place since 2016, despite the constitution guaranteeing this right. All assemblies require police approval and political demonstrations are actively discouraged at times. The only exception to the ban are political rallies held by parliamentarians within their constituencies, which in turn profoundly benefits the ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi – taking into account its numerical advantages in terms of constituencies. Government has begun using old provisions of the Penal Code and the colonial-era Undesirable Persons Act which criminalise loitering, to mostly prevent young people from ‘sitting in groups’ or assembling. While efforts have been made to promote access to information, the full realisation of this right continues to be a significant challenge. After years of media and human rights advocacy, Tanzania finally passed an Access to Information Act (2018). Despite many progressive clauses contained in the Act, accessing information has not become any easier. Although Tanzania has a diverse media landscape with numerous print outlets, television (TV) and radio stations, and internet sites and blogs, the repressive legal and regulatory environment impacts on both the enjoyment and operations of these media platforms. In addition, other extra-legal issues hamper access to information sources. The cost of newspapers and data, for example, reduce the accessibility of newspapers and online content for poor rural and marginalised communities. The move to broadcasting digital migration now requires that households either switch to more modern TV sets or purchase decoders (set-top boxes). Although broadcasting services (especially radio) are widely available, there is little content diversity in the media. Tanzania is a diverse society with more than 120 tribes and local languages, but this diversity is not reflected in the media as the law prohibits broadcasting in local languages. The state broadcaster – the Tanzanian Broadcasting Corporation – which ideally should serve all people, is tightly controlled and acts as the government or party mouthpiece, thus erasing critical voices. Voices of women are often silenced in the media. According to GenderLinks, voices of men still dominate in the media in Tanzania.1 Women working in the newsroom also face sexual harassment. A study by Internews on women’s role in media revealed rampant sexual harassment across media organisations.2 Women 1 2 7 This was revealed by the Executive Director of GenderLinks, Colleen Lowe Morna, at the Gender and News Summit Reporting on Sustainable Development held in Tanzania in 2018. Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Analysis Report. Conducted by FHI 360 in partnership with Internews. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER TANZANIA 2019