A CYBER security lobby group has petitioned the United States Embassy in Dar es Salaam to formally intervene on social media users based in America who violate Tanzanian laws.

The group named ‘Mtandao Rafiki’ conducted a peaceful demonstration towards the embassy at the weekend to express its members’ concerns over what they termed as violation of Tanzanian cyber laws by some Tanzanians based in the US.

 “We believe that the US government is in a good position to control the safe use of the internet by individuals who have been tarnishing the image of senior government officials back home,” said Jane Ritte, head of public affairs at Mtandao Rafiki.

 She said they have been sending complaints to various US government agencies that control cyber security issues, including the Internet Crime Complaint Centre (ICCC) but in vain.

 Ritte said it was necessary for foreign cyber security organizations to learn various languages including Kiswahili so that it is easy for them to control what is posted by users to promote safe use.

 Commenting on the matter, US Embassy Spokesperson Kalisha Holmes said the country respects freedom of expression as a bedrock democratic principle.

  “The US embassy has received a letter from a group of Tanzanians who gathered in front of the embassy yesterday. We do not comment on the immigration status of individuals residing in the United States,” she said