Gov. JB Pritzker is proposing a statewide fee on social media companies in an effort to raise $200 million a year for education, as the state grapples with a $2 billion budget shortfall.
The proposal would require social media platforms to pay a monthly fee based on the number of active users in Illinois, with larger companies paying higher fees.
The tiered rate structure would charge social media platforms with 100,000 to 500,000 users in Illinois 10 cents per month per user over 100,000. Platforms with 500,000 to 1 million users would be charged $40,000 per month plus 25 cents per month for each user over 500,000. Social media companies with 1 million or more users in Illinois would be charged $165,000 per month, plus 50 cents per month for each user over 1 million…