Influencers with over 10,000 followers may be required to pay taxes

In Uzbekistan, influencers and website owners may soon be required to pay taxes in accordance with the Tax Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan if they generate income through advertising or other monetized activities on their accounts, online communities, or websites. This provision is included in the draft law “On the Protection of the Rights of Users of Online Platforms and Websites,” developed by the Agency for Information and Mass Communications under the Administration of the President and currently open for public discussion.

The draft law was prepared to address the need to protect the rights of internet users and was developed with the participation of various state institutions, public organizations, and media experts.

The document defines several key terms, including:

- Blogger: An individual who posts socio-political, socio-economic, or other types of content on their account or in a public community for user discussion on an online platform.
- Influencer: A blogger with more than 10,000 subscribers on their account or within a public community on an online platform.
- Website Owner: An individual or legal entity who independently determines the usage policies of a website, including content publication procedures.
- False Information: Any information presented in any form that does not reflect the truth, distorts facts about individuals, objects, events, incidents, or processes, and creates a misleading impression.

The draft law outlines the rights and responsibilities of users, bloggers, influencers, and website owners.

Rights include:

- Opening an account or public community on an online platform;
- Receiving accurate and complete information about the terms and rules of using the online platform;
- Creating, receiving, and distributing content in ways not prohibited by Uzbek law;
- Freely expressing opinions on online platforms and websites, in accordance with national laws;
- Appealing to relevant authorities or defending one's rights, freedoms, honor, and dignity in court;
- Submitting demands or objections to the online platform owner, community moderator, or website owner to protect lawful interests and dignity, as guaranteed by national legislation;
- Earning income from creative, commercial, or other lawful activities in accordance with Uzbek law and the platform's rules;
- Refusing to accept products offered by online platforms if they conflict with personal views or interests;
- Limiting the visibility of undesired content on the platform;
- Being protected from unjustified restrictions on access to one’s account, social community, or website, and receiving notifications that explain such restrictions.

Obligations include:

- Complying with the laws of Uzbekistan;
- Respecting the rights, freedoms, honor, and dignity of others;
- Avoiding the distribution of illegal content;
- Removing illegal content when it is distributed;
- Adhering to regulations concerning the prevention of money laundering, terrorism financing, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, particularly when collecting voluntary sponsorships via online platforms or websites. 

In addition to general user obligations, the draft law introduces a set of additional responsibilities specifically for influencers and website owners:

- They must verify the accuracy of content before publishing it.
- They are prohibited from distributing false information through their accounts, social media platforms, or websites—especially if it degrades a person’s dignity, discredits individuals, or harms the business reputation of organizations.
- They are required to actively monitor their public-facing platforms, including comment sections, for illegal content and take immediate steps to remove such material when identified.
- They must prevent the distribution of illegal content on their platforms.
- In cases where false information has been disseminated, they are obligated to delete it or, upon requests from citizens, legal entities, or state authorities, label the content as false with a special mark.
- If the false information affects an individual’s or organization’s honor, dignity, or reputation, they must issue a public correction or refutation upon request.
- They must make available public contact information to facilitate appeals or follow-up communications.
- They are prohibited from publishing details related to investigations or preliminary proceedings without written permission from a prosecutor, investigator, or inquiry officer. They also cannot announce the outcomes of a case before a court verdict or attempt to influence judicial decisions in any form.
- Influencers and website owners must pay taxes on time in accordance with the Tax Code when earning income from advertising or other monetized activities via their platforms. Advertising is not permitted for influencers who fail to provide publicly accessible contact information for appeals or communication.

The draft law also proposes technical penalties for non-compliance. Specifically, a court may order a reduction in access speed to online platforms in Uzbekistan that fail to systematically cooperate with the authorized regulatory body. Notably, the government intends to move away from the practice of outright blocking. Instead, bloggers or influencers who fail to delete or halt the distribution of illegal content more than three times in a calendar year may have their online activity suspended for up to six months.

Public discussion of the draft law will continue until May 27.

For context, the number of internet users in Uzbekistan has surged from 14.7 million in 2017 to 32.7 million in 2025. Telegram leads as the most widely used platform with 28 million Uzbek users, followed by Odnoklassniki with 19.2 million, Facebook with 2.3 million, VKontakte with 1.5 million, LinkedIn with 850,000, and Twitter with 250,000 users.