French National Assembly passes data traffic tax amendment, targeting tech giants with ~€0.055 per GB levy
The French National Assembly passed an amendment taxing internet data traffic at ~€0.055 per GB, aiming to raise €10 billion annually from major tech companies, pending Senate approval.
According to a report by Tom's Hardware, the French National Assembly voted 11-10 on October 30, 2026, to approve an amendment introducing a new tax based on internet data traffic, adding it to the country's next budget. Proposed by Socialist lawmaker Laurent Lhardit, the measure would require content providers to pay approximately €0.055 (roughly $0.06) to the government for every gigabyte of content distributed to French users.
Unlike traditional digital service taxes that target advertising revenue or profits, this new levy directly targets entities generating substantial network traffic. The proposal explicitly names Google, Meta, Netflix, Amazon, and content delivery network Akamai as major potential contributors. Proponents estimate that with approximately 154 million users in France and around 200 billion GB of data passing through French internet providers annually—nearly half of which is attributed to five major companies—the tax could generate about €10 billion ($11.2 billion) in annual revenue.
To enforce the measure, telecommunications watchdog Arcep will oversee internet service providers like Orange Free and Liad, requiring them to measure data volumes and identify the companies responsible for sending it to French users. This data will be submitted quarterly to the French tax administration. The proposal also includes a cap: a company's total tax liability cannot exceed 15% of its French revenue or 2% of its worldwide revenue.
While the amendment has cleared the National Assembly, it still requires final approval from the French Senate to become law. Opponents have warned that such traffic monitoring could endanger user privacy and increase compliance burdens for businesses. However, Lhardit dismissed concerns that costs would be passed on to consumers, arguing that since platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok offer free access, tech companies cannot easily shift these infrastructure usage fees onto end-users.