French lawmakers approve traffic-based internet tax on big platforms

· Tech · France

French lawmakers have approved an amendment proposing a €0.055-per-gigabyte tax on digital content delivered to internet subscribers in France, a measure reported as an $11.2 billion internet tax based on traffic usage. The levy could generate an estimated €10 billion annually, with Google, Meta, Netflix and potentially TikTok among the companies affected. The proposal still faces further legislative hurdles before taking effect. The tax is structured around bandwidth consumed by streamed and downloaded content, putting large platforms that deliver the most traffic in its sights, while the wider debate over how to fund network infrastructure continues.

Why it matters：A traffic-based levy would shift network-infrastructure costs onto the largest content platforms and could set a template for other governments weighing similar levies, changing how streaming and social giants account for distribution costs.

Key points

  • The amendment sets a rate of €0.055 per gigabyte of content delivered.
  • Estimated annual proceeds are around €10 billion.
  • Google, Meta and Netflix are named as affected companies, with TikTok potentially included.

Sources (original reporting)

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