Uganda wants revenue from social media use — and to penalise pornography
Kampala — If Ugandan authorities have their way, checking Facebook or Twitter will cost you a few cents a day while a state-procured device scans your computer for pornography. They’re just some of the measures the government has promised as it seeks extra revenue and tries to curb what it describes as gossip and immorality. Human-rights groups say the social media tax is the latest attempt to stifle free expression in a country President Yoweri Museveni has ruled with a tight grip for three decades. The plans for a levy are "nonsense and a thinly veiled effort to penalise social media users," Maria Burnett, an associate director at New York-based Human Rights Watch, said in an e-mailed response to questions. In a nation where independent media often come under pressure — and where Twitter and other sites were shut down during the 2016 election that returned Museveni to power — there’s scepticism over the motives. Uganda has pushed for contentious legislation before, introducing a b...
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