GoKawiilFrench Assembly narrowly backs €0.055-per-gigabyte data traffic tax on Google, Netflix, Meta
France's National Assembly voted 11-10 on October 30 to approve a tax amendment charging content providers €0.055 (about $0.06) per gigabyte of data sent to French users, rather than taxing ad revenue or profits. Proposed by lawmaker Laurent Lhardit, the measure is projected to raise roughly €10 billion ($11.2 billion) annually and names Google, Meta, Netflix, Amazon and Akamai as likely major payers, with ISPs tasked to measure and report data volumes to tax authorities each quarter.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The measure marks an unusual shift toward taxing raw data traffic rather than revenue, which could set a precedent other governments watch closely as they seek new ways to tax large tech platforms operating across borders. Because it passed despite opposition from the government and the finance committee, it still faces further parliamentary votes and could be altered or rejected before becoming law, meaning its ultimate fate and economic impact remain uncertain.
- France's Assembly approved a tax of €0.055 per gigabyte of data sent to users, in a narrow 11-10 vote.
- The tax targets data traffic volume instead of revenue, profit or subscriptions, naming Google, Meta, Netflix, Amazon and Akamai as key contributors.
- The proposal, expected to generate about €10 billion yearly, still requires further parliamentary approval and includes a cap of 15% of a company's French revenue.
Source: tomshardware.com — Newton Gitonga, 2026-10-31
Published there as: “French lawmakers approve $11.2 billion internet tax based on traffic usage, costs $0.65 per gigabyte of content accessed”
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