TanzaniaOnline Content Regulations, prohibited content including AI-generated content
Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations 2020 (GN No. 538 of 2020), reg. 16 and the Schedule of prohibited content, as amended by GN No. 57 of 2025
In force since .
An AI prohibited practices rule binding public and private bodies.
- Enforcement body
- Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority
- Instrument type
- a regulation made under an act
- How the hook was established
- express
- What makes it apply
- Market targeting, Content origin
- Obligation class
- Prohibition
As of .
What it requires
- This binds a person who publishes content online for an audience in Tanzania, including an online content service provider, an application services licensee, an internet service provider and a social media platform owner. The item on artificial intelligence generated content has applied since .
- Do not publish unethical, fabricated or artificial intelligence generated content, including video clips, audio and still pictures, which the Schedule of prohibited content lists under paragraph 1(d) (regulation 16(1)).
- If you hold an online content licence, monitor and moderate user generated content to avoid publication of prohibited content, and remove prohibited content immediately when the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority orders it (regulation 9).
- If you own a social media platform, deploy a mechanism of filtering and removing prohibited content from the platform (regulation 15A).
- If you are an internet service provider, maintain mechanisms to prevent, restrict and bar access to prohibited content through your services, and do not host prohibited content (regulation 9A).
These lines are LexLint's reading of the law's text, as of .
If you get it wrong
Criminal exposureYes
Criminal exposure note
Where the Regulations provide no specific punishment, a contravention is an offence punishable on conviction by a fine of not less than TZS 5,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of not less than twelve months or both (regulation 21(1)). The figures are minimums rather than ceilings, so no penalty_structure cap is recorded for this instrument.
What this law does
Regulation 16(1) of the Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations, 2020 forbids a person to publish any prohibited content set out in the Schedule to the Regulations. Government Notice 57 of 2025 was published on . It added to paragraph 1 of the Schedule of prohibited content an item (d) for unethical, fabricated and artificial intelligence generated content, including video clips, audio and still pictures.
The Regulations apply to online content service providers, internet service providers, application services licensees, online content users and any other related online content. In the Regulations, the Authority is the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority. Licences under the Regulations include a Category B for content aggregation. A licensee must monitor and moderate user generated content to avoid publication of prohibited content.
A licensee must ensure that prohibited content is removed immediately upon being ordered by the Authority. A social media platform owner must deploy a mechanism of filtering and removing prohibited content from its platform. An internet service provider must maintain mechanisms to prevent, restrict and bar access to prohibited content through its services, and must not host prohibited content.
A contravention of the Regulations for which no specific punishment is provided is an offence punishable on conviction by a fine of not less than five million shillings or imprisonment for a term of not less than twelve months or both.
When LexLint raises it
When your app profile says your app generates content with AI, operates a social platform, reuses other publishers' content or provides telecom services.