Tanzanian Activist Appeals to President Trump After Meta Removes Key Social Media Accounts
In a direct appeal to U.S. President Donald Trump, prominent Tanzanian activist and exiled critic Mange Kimambi is calling for intervention after Meta abruptly disabled her major social media platforms, which were followed by millions.
Kimambi, who resides in the United States, lost access to her personal Instagram account with over 8 million followers, her news page @wananchiforum, and a WhatsApp news platform. The removal significantly curtails a critical information channel used to report on alleged human rights abuses, election-related violence, and corruption in Tanzania.
The takedown occurred in the wake of Tanzania’s recent presidential election, where President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner with over 98% of the vote. Kimambi states her platforms were essential for sharing on-the-ground reports amid what she describes as severe media restrictions and state pressure within the country.
“These platforms were a lifeline for millions of Tanzanians seeking uncensored news,” Kimambi asserted. She noted that fellow activist and commentator Maria Sarungi has also lost her Instagram account, suggesting a targeted silencing of critical voices.
In her letter to Donald Trump, Kimambi urges the former president to leverage his influence to call on Meta to reinstate the accounts and to advocate for enhanced protections for activists using social media globally. She emphasizes that the platforms provided a vital space for diaspora and citizen journalism, circumventing traditional media constraints in Tanzania.
Meta has not publicly commented on the specific removals. The company’s content moderation policies have frequently drawn scrutiny from both sides of the political spectrum, with activists often accusing it of arbitrarily enforcing rules in ways that disadvantage dissenting voices.
The appeal to Trump marks an unusual strategy, reflecting the perceived urgency and high stakes for Tanzanian activists. Analysts note that the loss of these large platforms deals a severe blow to the digital ecosystem of government criticism, leaving a significant information void for their vast audience.
The situation underscores the growing tensions between global social media giants, political activism, and authoritarian-leaning governments, with activists increasingly vulnerable to the opaque moderation decisions of a single corporate entity.
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