@unusual_whales: French lawmakers approve €0.055 per GB tax on data sent

French lawmakers approved a tax of €0.055 (5.5 cents) per gigabyte on data that companies such as Netflix and YouTube send to users in France. The tax is levied on the companies rather than on users directly, though the article notes the cost could be passed on to subscribers. The vote was 11 to 10, with only 35 of 577 lawmakers present. Supporters say it could raise up to €10 billion a year, while the French government opposed it, warning it would hit smaller French companies hardest; VLC says it would cost the company over €1 million a year.