Social Media

Illinois Just Adopted a Half-Baked Scheme to Tax Social Media

A lack of comprehension and sloppy language make a mess of a new tax scheme.

J.D. Tuccille | 6.10.2026 7:00 AM

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(Illustration: Midjourney/Alexey Boldin/Dreamstime)

Government officials may not fully understand what social media is, but they damned well plan to do something about the ills it may or may not inflict on our society. They'll happily start with extracting some money from the companies behind social media, though it may take a few tries, given politicians' complete lack of understanding of the thing they want to tax. Illinois is a good example, where legislators just passed an attempt at a social media levy that runs afoul of its authors' ignorance.

You are reading The Rattler from J.D. Tuccille and Reason. Get more of J.D.'s commentary on government overreach and threats to everyday liberty.

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Illinois Hopes for Big Revenue From New Social Media Tax

"A nearly $56 billion state spending plan is headed to Gov. JB Pritzker's desk after the Democratic-controlled Illinois legislature approved it in the early-morning hours of another overtime spring session," the Chicago Tribune's Dan Petrella noted last week. "The biggest source of new revenue is a new per-user tax on large social media companies."

The governor's signature is essentially guaranteed, since the budget proposal and social media tax originated in his office. Pritzker hopes to raise $200 million per year from the scheme. But the plan faces challenges, not least of which is that a similar tax passed by Chicago is tied up in court. Another and potentially more serious........

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