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Uganda Levies Social Media Tax to Prevent Gossip

posted by mrpg on Sunday June 03 2018, @10:15AM   Printer-friendly
from the let's-gossip dept.

An Anonymous Coward writes:

Ugandu has reached rock bottom and yet has started to dig even deeper with the recent announcement that a daily fee of 200 shillings will be levied to use social media. This is not the first time a country has attempted to have ISPs charge a separate fee for social network access.

Today, Uganda's parliament passed a controversial "social media tax." It will consist of a daily fee of about 200 shillings (5 US cents) levied on anyone who uses social networking and messaging apps and platforms like Whatsapp, Facebook and Twitter. According to Trading Economics, in 2016, Uganda had a per-capita income of $666.10, so this isn't an insubstantial tax.

President Yoweri Museveni was a vocal supporter of and advocate the bill. He believes that social media encourages "gossip," according to BBC News. The law will go into effect as of July 1st, but it's not clear how the government will monitor its citizens or collect the tax.

Also at the BBC

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 03 2018, @05:56PM (3 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 03 2018, @05:56PM (#688070)

    I think this should be done in America too. Not for all social media, just Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit. Call it the "Fake News" tax and use the proceeds to deport illegals.

    Add watching Fox to that list and have the proceeds go to public funded elections and I think we have a winner!

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  • (Score: 2) by Apparition on Sunday June 03 2018, @08:03PM (2 children)

    by Apparition (6835) on Sunday June 03 2018, @08:03PM (#688081) Journal

    Add Instagram, Snapchat, and MSNBC to that list, and you'll have my support.

    • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 03 2018, @09:14PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 03 2018, @09:14PM (#688103)

      except what will actually go on the list: wsws. common dreams, democracy now, alternet, maybe even the root, who knows

      those are the news sources the cia told the dnc to say are fake

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 04 2018, @01:13AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 04 2018, @01:13AM (#688175)

        those are the news sources the cia told the dnc to say are fake

        Well, to be fair, the CIA got the list from the Illuminati who are really only doing the bidding of a consortium of the Aliens, Flat Earth Society and the SPCA. And, of course, heavily influenced by the Skill & Bones Society, Doctor's without Borders, Topeka Chamber of Commerce, Bohemian Grove, Selma Hayek, and Bill Nye. And watch out for that bastard Bill Nye!

        What were we talking about?