French lawmakers attach per-gigabyte data traffic levy to budget, naming Google among targets
French lawmakers have put a levy of 5.5 cents per gigabyte of data into the budget, with a total estimated at about $11.2 billion. The measure still needs Senate approval, but large platforms such as Alphabet's Google could face a heavier bill.
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Le Figaro, as relayed by TASS and Kommersant, reports that members of the lower house backed a tax code amendment. It would require large data-generating platforms, Netflix, Meta and Google among them, to pay France 5.5 cents for each gigabyte that reaches individual users.
Tom's Hardware reports that the proposal was added to the budget with an estimated size of about $11.2 billion, or roughly $0.06 per gigabyte of content accessed. PPC Land reported a narrow vote, with 11 in favour and 10 against.
The text must still clear the Senate, so its final shape is uncertain. Some reports describe the plan only in general terms, and its implementation details have not been confirmed.
If it becomes law, a charge tied to data volume would make French users more expensive to serve for Alphabet and its peers. Bandwidth-heavy services such as video streaming would be hit hardest, though the size of the effect depends on the final rules.
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