Some Ugandans are turning to VPNs to avoid paying the Social Media tax. A huge percentage of them is using free VPN services. But not all VPNs are worth using. In fact, some VPNs are so bad that you’d actually be better off paying the social media tax, than routing your traffic through their services.
The social media tax came into effect on 1st July. Despite the commission hinting about blockage of VPNs, some Ugandans are using them successfully. According to VPN comparison site BestVPN.com, VPN searches from Uganda went up by 1567%.
Many Ugandans got introduced to VPN usage in the 2016 general election when social media access was blocked. However, Social Media tax has caused a spike in VPN interest among Ugandans.
It is desperate times calling for desperate measures as some people don’t know how these VPNs operate. They actually don’t care about how they operate. All they care about is circumnavigating the tax. We shared our insights on VPN usage Vs paying OTT tax here.
Investment or internet censorship?
The Government claims the tax will allow it to invest and improve internet for all. However, critics see it as a deliberate attempt to suffocate criticism of President Museveni.
“Political tyrants are terrified of losing their grip on power and so attempt to control the flow of information. The economic reality in Uganda makes this less of a levy and more of an outright ban. Those with technical know-how and financial resources are using VPNs to avoid the tax, but many citizens will feel as though they have no choice but to stop using social media. We’d urge these citizens to visit our site and look for a reputable free VPN service.” commented Douglas Crawford, privacy expert at BestVPN.com.
It’s one thing to successfully dodge paying the OTT tax using a VPN. It’s something else altogether when the VPN service encroaches on privacy. If you value your privacy, here are the VPN services you want to avoid. They have been proven to violate user privacy in one way or another.
Bad VPN services to avoid
Easy VPN: Easy VPN was listed as #2 on the Top 10 most malware-infected Android VPN apps. This isn’t a surprise at all. It’s developer was the one behind Ok VPN, the most malware infested VPN app. There is adware written in Easy VPN source code. This brings annoying pop up ads soon top of other open applications.
CrossVPN: CrossVPN sits at #5 on the Top 10 most malware-infected Android VPN apps. Identified malware includes adware, Trojan, malvertising, riskware, and spyware.
Hotspot Shield VPN: Hotspot Shield VPN injects JavaScript codes using iframes for advertising and tracking purposes with their Android VPN app. They also use more than 5 third-party tracking libraries. Furthermore, HSS redirects user traffic to e-commerce domains, such as alibaba.com.
SuperVPN: This VPN service was listed as #3 on the Top 10 most malware-infected Android VPN apps. Different forms of malware identified in the study included: adware, Trojan, malvertising, riskware, and spyware.
Free VPNs: This includes the sea of free VPN apps that flood the Play and App Stores. They are a disaster to privacy and security. They record and sell your data, hut you with ads and sometimes redirect your browser. Many of them are covered in malware.
Wrap up.
If you really care about your online privacy, don’t use a bad VPN service. It’s better to use a paid VPN which has a reputable past than handing over your data to a bad VPN. You are better off paying the tax than using the above VPN nightmares. Your VPN might not be included on our list. However, that shouldn’t stop you from being careful about what VPN service you are using.
