--- title: "Uganda Is Taxing WhatsApp and Facebook, Because Users “Gossip”" description: "Uganda just imposed a daily tax on the use of WhatsApp and Facebook in the country. Critics were quick to call out the President for stifling free speech." date: "2018-06-01" modified: "2018-06-01" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/uganda-taxing-whatsapp-facebook-gossip" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Meta" tags: - "#uganda" - "facebook" - "free speech" - "social media" - "tax" - "whatsapp" --- # Uganda Is Taxing WhatsApp and Facebook, Because Users “Gossip” ![]() *\Image: Emily Cho\* Screaming unpopular opinions into the void is one of the great joys of the internet. But in some parts of the globe, that is a privilege that can be dangerous. If those subversive opinions seem to be gaining traction, those in power might turn off the spigot of discord. Uganda appears to be the most recent nation in which free speech on the internet is no longer a given. On Thursday, the Ugandan government passed a law that imposes a daily tax of 200 Ugandan shillings (roughly 5 cents) on people who use WhatsApp and Facebook. It also now demands a 1 percent fee for each mobile money transaction — a significant change, since [e-commerce is booming]() – conducted anywhere within the African continent. President Yoweri Museveni justified the move citing the need to [raise funds]() that could help the government "cope with the consequences of their lugambo" — a colloquial term used to refer to gossip, spreading rumors, opinions or insults – according to a quote [in Ugandan outlet *Daily Monitor*](), Critics were quick to [call out the Ugandan government]() for limiting free speech. Only about 40 percent of Uganda's 40 million people use the internet, and a large chunk of them use WhatsApp and Facebook, [according to *Reuters.*]() That additional cost will most certainly keep even more people off the internet. Indeed, the Ugandan government already has a reputation for not tolerating free speech online. Critics like academic and LGBTQ theorist, Stella Nyanzi, have been [jailed for "insulting" the president]() on social media. And since social media has been used in other countries to [organize demonstrations]() and unite voices of dissent, it's not much of a stretch to see Museveni's move as an attempt to silence the opposition before the same could happen in Uganda. And then there's the money involved. There's no guarantee that the Ugandan government will funnel it into a fund to "stop lugambo" (how do we stop gossip, anyway?). Uganda scored a 26 out of 100 in "perceived level of public sector corruption" according to [Transparency International's 2017 ranking]() – 0 is "highly corrupt," and 100 is "very clean." So, that's not a great score. With that kind of track record, an extra couple of million Ugandan shillings in the bank could likely end up somewhere else entirely, and the public would never know. Albeit, taxing apps offered for free by the companies that run them, is not the *most* overt technique out there for silencing free speech. The governments of Russia and Iran, for example, have [prohibited entire platforms like Telegram](). Uganda itself even [blocked Facebook and WhatsApp]() during its 2016 elections. It is possible that this tax was born out of frustration with the limited success of an all-out ban like that. As has been proven time and again, taking away a platform for dissidents never really works as governments plan. They'll find a new place to congregate, new ways to fight the power. ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()