If you’re looking for yet another reason to be grateful to live in the United States of America this Fourth of July, look no further than Uganda, which just introduced a tax on social media.
According to the BBC, Uganda’s tax of 200 Ugandan shillings (approximately $0.05) on social media users started on July 1. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni reportedly supported the tax as a means to curb gossip on social media; however, Reuters reported back in May that opponents of the plan believe it is meant to cut down on criticism of the government.
As Reuters explained, Ugandans who use sites like Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp will be fined approximately $19 per year if they continue to use social media the traditional way. The World Bank notes Uganda’s per capita gross domestic product was approximately $615 in 2016.
To try to get around paying the tax, many Ugandan citizens have turned to Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs, which make internet traffic look like it is coming from another country. A poll conducted by the Daily Monitor, a Ugandan news source, claimed 70 percent of those polled would use a VPN instead of reducing or eliminating their social media use in response to the tax.
This is not the first time the Ugandan government has tried to crack down ons social media use. In 2016, the government blocked access to social media sites ahead of the election.
So the next time you see a post on social media ranting about the U.S. government, remember, at least you didn’t have to pay a tax to read it.
