social media users now must pay upfront a daily levy of Shs 200 (5 cents).
It is fair to describe the digital world as anarchic. Too much of regulation by the State goes against the spirit of freedom of speech and expression while any laxity is fraught with the danger of rumor mills and fake news causing avoidable loss and injury to innocent lives.
Kampala: A new tax on social media has taken effect in Uganda, angering many who see the revenue measure as an attack on free speech.
A tax on users of sites such as Facebook was first proposed by long-time leader Yoweri Museveni, who complained of online gossip in a March letter that urged the finance minister to raise money "to cope with the consequences."
In addition to the usual data fees, social media users now must pay upfront a daily levy of Shs200 (5 cents) to access everything from WhatsApp to Twitter. Ladislaus Rwakafuuzi, a prominent human rights lawyer in Uganda, said many people are "bitter" because the tax "was brought in bad faith."
( Source : AP )
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