France National Assembly votes for gigabyte-based data tax

The French National Assembly has passed a first-reading amendment to the 2027 budget proposal that would impose a tax of 0.055 euros per gigabyte of data sent to French internet users. Proposed by Socialist deputy Laurent Lhardit, the measure targets content providers, including major tech firms such as Netflix, Google, Amazon, Meta, and Akamai, rather than individual consumers or telecommunications operators.

The tax is designed to be measured by internet service providers, who would report anonymized data volumes to the tax authorities under the supervision of Arcep. To prevent excessive burdens, the tax is capped at either 15 percent of a company’s revenue in France or 2 percent of its global turnover. Proponents estimate the levy could generate approximately 10 billion euros annually.

The amendment passed with a narrow margin of 11 votes to 10 in a session with low attendance. The French government and the budget rapporteur have expressed opposition to the measure. It must still undergo further legislative processes, including review by the Senate, before it can become law.