Regulating and Taxing the Big Tech Companies: A Slippery Slope for Africa?

Abstract

There has been a growing concern across the globe on the activities of Big Tech companies and the platforms they deploy. This Paper reviews the United States and European experiences, while also providing an African perspective. It is unclear how Africa should proceed with its regulatory oversight of the Big Tech companies and subsequently tax them appropriately. Doubtlessly, the African continent lacks the policy cohesion of Europe, the cross national enforcement capabilities of the United States or even the capacity to monitor that actual activities on these platforms. Therefore, this Paper is of the view that Africa must segment the activities of the Big Tech companies based on both the thematic functions of their platforms and the regulatory areas they impact in the countries they operate in. In the end the key question, which is also an expression of a deep seated fear, is on whether this path can be a slippery slope that will capsize even the fringe advantages and usefulness of these platforms on the African digital ecosystem.

Keywords: Big Tech, Regulatory, Platforms, taxation, technologies, communications

DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/13-20-12

Publication date:October 31^st 2021