The Hungarian government has decided to axe a planned tax on internet data traffic after mass protests against the plan. The tax, proposed last week, would have seen internet use charged per gigabyte transferred. The levy was set at 150 forints (£0.40; 0.50 euros; $0.60) per gigabyte of data traffic. The plan, condemned by the […]
The Hungarian government has decided to axe a planned tax on internet data traffic after mass protests against the plan.
The tax, proposed last week, would have seen internet use charged per gigabyte transferred.
The levy was set at 150 forints (£0.40; 0.50 euros; $0.60) per gigabyte of data traffic.
The plan, condemned by the EU, was expected to rake in around $80 million per year, mostly from companies.
The move prompted tens of thousands of Hungarians to take to the streets in protest, leading to the plans being abolished.
After thousands protested the government decided to cap the tax at 700 forints per month for individuals and 5,000 forints for companies. But that did not placate the crowds.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban said it “cannot be introduced in its current form,”
explaining that it was intended as a “telecommunications tax,” but was perceived as an “internet tax.”
Instead, the Hungarian government will enter a period of “national consultation” for “a long time” to rework the proposal to the public’s liking.
