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I would like to see a large social network tax. Any social network with more than 300 million people gets an additional 20 percent tax on profits. Any revenues
by fighterpilot 5y ago
I would like to see a large social network tax. Any social network with more than 300 million people gets an additional 20 percent tax on profits. Any revenues from this tax can be used to reduce other taxes.
There's three reasons for this.
One, this is compensation for negative externalities, such as the Myanmar massacres, fake news proliferation and so on.
Second, social networks are the ultimate network effects companies, where their enduring success is less about provision of a fantastic product and more about the staying power of the network once the ball got rolling initially.
Third, their success is built on the exploitation of our evolved dopamine systems, similar to opiates and gambling, and their product in many cases isn't actually improving the lives of their customers. This is seen in circumstantial evidence of rising teen depression, especially among young girls.
Google, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon would of course all be exempt from this tax.