Uganda passes tax law on social media users to curb ‘gossiping’ online

Uganda's parliament has passed a law to tax those who use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Viber, and WhatsApp, as reported by BBC. The controversial tax was first introduced in April after the country's president, Yoweri Museveni, wrote a letter to the treasury stating that social media encouraged gossip that was costing Uganda time and income.

The tax will come into effect on June 1st, imposing a 200 shilling ($0.05) levy per day on those who use social media platforms, but it's unclear how it will be enforced. About 17 million people, or 41 percent of Uganda's total population, use the internet, and there doesn't seem to be a definitive plan on monitoring how and when social media sites are accessed. According to the...

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