Sharing fear? Prepare for consequences

YES, we know. The campaign mood is officially on. Banners are flying, slogans are rhyming, and politicians are suddenly experts on everything from potholes to planetary alignment. It is election season and as Tanzanians, we know how to do this dance.

But what we cannot afford, and must not tolerate, is turning our digital streets into haunted houses of fear.

Lately, some individuals have taken up the hobby of becoming digital archaeologists by digging up old, grainy videos and outdated photos of chaos, crime and calamity and reposting them as if they happened five minutes ago. Some even come with terrifying captions like “Look what is happening!” or “This just happened in town!” Spoiler alert: It didn’t.

These posts are not innocent “throwbacks” or moments of reflection. They are misleading, inflammatory and let us call it as it is dangerous. In fact, they are calculated to incite panic, spread fear and stir emotional unrest among peaceful citizens who just want to vote, work and complain about high data prices in peace.

We are talking about images of protests, crime scenes, injuries, even deaths recycled from the past and presented out of context, like some bad TV rerun nobody asked for. It is not just unethical. It is illegal. Yes, Section 16 of the Media Services Act, Chapter 229 (2023 Edition), does not just sit on a dusty shelf.

ALSO READ: No mirrors, no helmets, no safety, no future

Neither does Section 16 of the Cybercrimes Act, Chapter 443, or the Online Content Regulations under Government Notice No 538 of July 2020. These laws exist for a reason to protect national peace and prevent online platforms from becoming breeding grounds for social chaos.

To those sharing these clips: You may think you are just “raising awareness” or “exposing the truth.” But what you are really doing is handing ammunition to fear-mongers and destabilisers. That is not activism. That is digital recklessness. Let us be real.

Social media is powerful. It can build movements, amplify voices and reconnect long-lost relatives even if they only reach out to borrow money. But it can also destroy reputations, provoke violence and compromise national security faster than you can say “forwarded as received.” Be informed that the government is not sleeping through this. Investigations are underway. Security agencies are tracing sources of these deceptive uploads.

And let it be known again: Being “just the person who shared it” won’t shield anyone from accountability. Forwarding false content is like yelling “fire” in a crowded theatre and it doesn’t matter who lit the match. The panic is your responsibility too. Here is the truth bomb: National security is not just the job of soldiers in uniform.

It is also the job of the guy with 4,000 X followers (formerly Twitter) , Office Assistant with the viral WhatsApp group and the university student with a meme page. Every post you make either builds this country or burns it slowly.

So, what should you do instead? Use your social media powers for good. Share facts, not fiction. Promote peace, not panic. Ask questions, but also verify answers.

And if someone sends you a video that looks fishy maybe from 2015 with a timestamp the size of a billboard don’t hit “share.” Hit “delete” (and maybe “report”). Remember, elections come and go. But peace? Once lost, it is not so easy to repost.