GoKawiilProposed French digital tax could cost VideoLAN over €1 million annually
French lawmakers have voted in a digital tax that VideoLAN says would cost the non-profit organization more than 1 million euros per year. VideoLAN, the maker of the popular open-source VLC media player, has publicly criticized the measure, saying the politicians who passed it do not understand its impact on software projects like theirs.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
A tax bill aimed broadly at digital services could inadvertently hit small non-profits and open-source projects that lack the revenue of large commercial tech firms, according to VideoLAN's criticism. If accurate, this suggests a mismatch between the law's design and its real-world effects, potentially threatening the survival of widely used free software despite lawmakers' stated goal of boosting technological sovereignty.
- French Parliament has voted for a digital tax that VideoLAN says would cost it over €1 million per year.
- VideoLAN, maker of the VLC media player, warns the tax could threaten its existence as a non-profit.
- VideoLAN argues the policy contradicts lawmakers' stated goal of technological sovereignty.
Source: twitter.com, 2026-10-30
Published there as: “French digital tax may kill VideoLan non-profit”
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