January 7th, 2009 – The French government is considering a levy on entities like Google who make money from advertising. The levy is meant to pay for programs that promote art within France. The levy would apply to companies that not only have offices in France, but to any that are accessible by French citizens. This means, of course, that any French citizens who have internet access that isn’t locked down, can go to Google, and Google will be charged.
Now, I’m sure that Google, Yahoo, Microsoft/Bing and others will not take this lying down. As well, how will France, champion of liberty, enforce the levy if Google and friends decide not to pay? Will France then censor its own internet? That seems awfully like China’s model. France will have to do that, because there’s no way that these companies that are bigger than countries, will put up with it.
So what was the point of the proposal? Whether or not you agree with it, there’s no possible way it would pass. All it does is raise everyone’s hackles.
One Comment, Comment or Ping
Sebastien Orban
It’s a reminder that the old government want a piece of the internet cake for themselve and that big corporation on the net are still money machine.
I remember the hope on the internet in the mid 90′s – well, Internet is not the freedom paradise we wish.
Another things : the lack of national frontier on the net made things like that ridiculous. In fact, most law are inadequate to encompass what internet is (or isn’t. What if Google don’t pay ? Will they ask french citizen to block Google, or will they create another china like great firewall ?
Jan 8th, 2010
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