Uganda plans tax on social media use from July, rights activists cry foul

A 3D printed Whatsapp logo is seen in front of a displayed stock graph in this illustration. (Reuters)

Uganda plans to slap a new tax on social media users from July to raise revenue, which human rights activists denounced as another attempt by President Yoweri Museveni to stifle freedom of expression and quash dissent to his 32-year-rule.

The move is unlikely to go down well in a country where more than 40 percent of people use the internet. Data costs in Africa are already among the world’s highest, according to digital advocacy group World Wide Web Foundation.