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Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Internet-tax proposal angers Hungarians

Rally in Budapest opposes government's plan for levy on data use that would be the first tax of its kind in the world.


Thousands of people have taken to the streets of the Hungarian capital Budapest to demonstrate against a planned new tax on internet-data use.
Crowd of protesters on Budapest's Elisabeth Bridge, 28 Oct 14


If introduced as proposed next year, it would be the first tax of its kind in the world.

Announcing the levy , Mihaly Varga, economy minister, said the tax - $0.61 on each transferred gigabyte of data - was needed to help shore up the 2015 budget of one of the European Union's most indebted nations.

Viktor Orban, Hungary's prime minister, has been accused of leaning towards authoritarianism and organisers have said they believed the tax was aimed at restricting government critics who mainly use online media.

Hungary internet tax cancelled after mass protests

Hungary has decided to shelve a proposed tax on internet data traffic after mass protests against the plan.
"This tax in its current form cannot be introduced," Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday Oct 31,2014

 

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