Tax on social media

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 was 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 four Ugandan shillings (5c) to access everything from WhatsApp to Twitter.