Uganda starts taxing Facebook, Tinder, Tumblr, etc social media use
Is this the future of taxation as fuel levies and taxes dwindle as cars go electric in future…? I can't imagine this is going to be popular amongst citizens.
The government of Uganda started taxing social media use on 1 July 2018, requiring Internet service providers to block access to services until users pay a tax of 200 shillings (R0.72) per day, TorrentFreak reported.
Everything from Tinder to Tumblr must be blocked, according to the government decree, and ISPs allow users to make the tax payment from their mobile phones.
In response to the new tax, the search term “VPN” spiked on Google in Uganda.
Following news of the sudden popularity of VPNs in Uganda, the executive director of the Uganda Communications Commission, Godfrey Mutabazi, issued a statement in which he said it is more expensive to use a VPN than to pay the tax. He also said the agency has the capabilities to block access to VPNs in the country.
See https://mybroadband.co.za/news/government/266973-uganda-starts-taxing-facebook-use.html
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Uganda starts taxing Facebook use The government of Uganda started taxing social media use on 1 July 2018. |