France scraps disputed data‑transfer tax after split parliamentary vote

The French National Assembly voted 11‑10 to reject a planned levy on data traffic from content providers.

The proposal would have forced operators to collect €0.055 per gigabyte that providers send to users in France, with proponents saying it could raise as much as €10 billion each year.

Opponents said the traffic‑measurement method was unsound and that the charge would mainly hit big platforms without delivering noticeable gains for consumers; the government also deemed the €10 billion estimate unrealistic.

The split vote underscored sharp partisan lines, as the governing coalition was divided while opposition parties stood together against the scheme; the outcome depended on a solitary dissenting vote from within the majority.

The defeat follows months of pressure from technology companies and digital‑rights organisations, which warned the levy could lift subscription fees and prompt content providers to scale back data‑intensive services like video streaming.

Although the tax has been shelved, the episode highlights the continuing debate in Europe over financing public budgets in the digital era; lawmakers may explore other options such as wider digital services taxes, but any new plan must solve measurement issues and win broader parliamentary backing.