Mange Kimambi has filed a lawsuit against Meta in California, accusing the technology company of disabling her social media accounts after pressure from Tanzanian authorities.
The Tanzanian-born, US-based activist filed the 36-page complaint on August 21, 2026, at the Superior Court of California in San Mateo County. The case, listed as 26-CIV-06555, names Meta Platforms Inc. and 25 unidentified defendants.
Kimambi accuses Meta of acting on government pressure.
Kimambi, a vocal critic of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, claims her accounts were targeted after she shared content about alleged human rights abuses and called for peaceful protests following Tanzania’s disputed October 2025 presidential election.
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Her lawyers point to a Meta transparency report which recorded requests from Tanzanian regulators to restrict three Instagram accounts. The requests reportedly cited posts critical of the government and calls for peaceful protests.
The lawsuit alleges Tanzanian authorities threatened measures that could have affected Meta’s operations in the country if the company did not comply. Kimambi claims Meta subsequently took action against her accounts globally rather than limiting restrictions to Tanzania.
“The Tanzanian government instead turned to Meta, and Meta gave it what it could not obtain on its own,” the lawsuit states.
Meta gives a different explanation.
Meta has previously said Kimambi’s accounts were removed because they violated its policy on creating replacement accounts after previous bans.
Her lawyers dispute that explanation. According to the complaint, one of her Instagram accounts, @mangekimambi80, had about 2.9 million followers, while another account used for news reporting had about one million followers before being disabled in December 2025.
Kimambi also says she had subscribed to Meta Verified expecting access to human customer support but received no meaningful assistance after the accounts were disabled.
Her WhatsApp account was restored in January 2026, but her Instagram accounts remain disabled. The status of her Facebook account is unclear.
She is seeking transparency, not compensation.
Kimambi is not asking the court for financial damages or an order forcing Meta to restore her accounts.
Instead, she wants Meta to disclose when foreign governments influence decisions to restrict users and, where legally permitted, identify the governments making such requests.
Her complaint accuses Meta of violating California consumer-protection laws, including laws covering unfair competition and false advertising.
Kimambi also faces charges in Tanzania.
Prosecutors have accused her of money laundering involving about US$56,000 (roughly KSh7.25 million). The allegations relate to money authorities say was obtained through an unaccredited journalism operation.
Kimambi has rejected the allegations and described the case as politically motivated. The criminal proceedings and her California lawsuit are separate matters.
