Uganda Communication Commission Bans 27 Pornography Websites

• Ugandan authorities are attempting to block both local and international pornography websites in the East African country by enforcing the Anti-Pornography Act, 2014
• The Ugandan Communication Commission has directed ISPs and telecommunications companies in the country to ban 17 local and 10 international pornography websites.
• It is likely that more websites will be added to the blacklist in the near future if the current ban wave is successful.

Authorities in Uganda have been trying to shut down pornography viewership in the country since 2016, and the government is finally taking steps by initiating website bans. A pornography detection machine was scheduled for arrival in September 2016, and it was designed to detect any form of pornographic images, videos or graphics stored in digital devices. The Ugandan Communication Commission was set up in August 2017 after the failed acquisition which enforces the Anti-Pornography Act, 2014.

Uganda Communication Commission Executive Director Godfrey Mutabazi revealed, “The commission is in receipt of a list of Internet sites with pornographic content from the Pornography Control Committee. The committee has established that the list of the websites attached hereto is currently streaming pornography to Uganda in breach of section 13 of the Anti-Pornography Act, 2014.”

The list includes both local and international websites that the government of Uganda wants to ban. ISPs and telecommunications companies are currently blocking 17 local and 10 international pornography websites after being directed by the UCC. If Ugandan citizens opt to use VPN services, it is likely that such services will be banned as well.

The government will penalize any telecommunications companies that do not comply with the UCC's orders. This is not the first time the government of Uganda has attempted to restrict internet freedom of users. A social media and mobile money tax were introduced to curb the use of social media platforms and online wallets. The government reported that usage of both had dropped significantly last month. Over 96% of users in Uganda were using social media platforms, but the number dropped to 85% following the tax implementations.

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