Bloggers and other online content producers in Uganda have now been mandated by the Uganda Communications Commission to not only register, but also pay an annual fee of $20, according to a Twitter user – @Valanchee.
In case you missed it, a little while ago, the country also imposed a 200 shilling ($0.0531) per day levy on people using social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Viber, and Twitter.
As it turns out, bloggers and other online content producers in Uganda are mandated by @UCC_Official to not only register but also pay an annual fee of $20. What is not clear is whether those who blog on Facebook, Twitter and free blogging platforms fall under this gamut #Uganda
— mwesigwa (@valanchee) August 16, 2018
Meanwhile, earlier this year, the UCC released a public notice on March 5, 2018, saying,
“The purpose of this public notice therefore, is to inform all persons currently offering or desirous of offering online data communication services, that in exercise of its powers under Section 6 (e) of the Uganda Communications Act 2013, the Commission classified online data communication services as a communication service for which one requires an authorization from the Commission”
“Online data communication service providers, including online publishers, online news platforms, online radio and telephone operators are therefore advised to apply and obtain authorization from the Commission,” the notice states.
Should this law go into full effect, Uganda might follow Tanzania’s footsteps, where bloggers pay more to have license to operate.
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