The record
Incidents in Africa, outcome unknown
Each incident is a dated action by a government, an official, a regulator, a court or a legislature that limited journalists' ability to gather or publish news.
The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.
All filters: country, dates, head of government, sort
Tanzania shuts down internet access on election day amid unrest
Tanzania's government restricted internet and social-media access on October 29, 2025, as citizens voted in a general election marked by protests, cutting national internet traffic by nearly 90 percent and leaving both local and foreign jo…
Shutdowns and blocking · Stage Silence · Head of government Samia Suluhu Hassan · Unknown
Egypt: media law used to fine and block news site al-Mashhad
Under a 2018 law that treats any social media account with more than 5,000 followers as a media outlet, Egypt's media regulator fined news site al-Mashhad and ordered internet providers to block it for spreading what it called false news.
Official labels · Stage Pressure · Head of government Abdel Fattah el-Sisi · Unknown
Tanzania requires bloggers and online publishers to register and pay an annual government fee
Tanzania's government, under President John Magufuli, issued regulations requiring anyone running a blog or website with user content to register with the telecoms regulator and pay an annual fee reported at roughly $930, with vaguely word…
Licensing and closure of outlets · Stage Pressure · Head of government John Magufuli · Unknown
Zimbabwe enacts a law requiring all journalists and media houses to hold government licenses
Zimbabwe's parliament passed the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), requiring every journalist and media company to obtain a government license renewed every two years, weeks before a closely contested 2002 presid…
Licensing and closure of outlets · Stage Pressure · Head of government Robert Mugabe · Unknown
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