Protests against internet tax in Hungary.

(Baonghean) - Hungary has just enacted a law to tax downloaded internet data, which has caused public outrage.

Over 10,000 Hungarians protested in Budapest, demanding that Prime Minister Viktor Orban reverse his decision to tax internet usage. Specifically, the law would tax 50 centimes for every gigabyte of data downloaded. Intended to generate additional revenue for the state budget, the law was criticized by those who disagreed with it as undemocratic.

Hungarian protesters held up their mobile phones in front of the Ministry of Economy building on Sunday, October 26.

"If this tax law isn't lifted, we'll be back," Balazs Gulyas, one of the protest organizers, declared to the crowd gathered in front of the Ministry of Economy. The protesters held up signs reading: "Freedom for Wi-Fi! Freedom for the Internet! Freedom for Hungary!"

The draft of this new law was published last Tuesday. The Hungarian Prime Minister asserted that this tax is necessary to compensate for the shortfalls in Hungary's 2015 budget. Hungary is one of the most indebted countries in the European Union. Furthermore, Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated that taxing the internet is justified, as it will offset the revenue lost when users switch from traditional telephone lines to internet access.

On the protest organizers' side, they accused the new law of being another undemocratic act by Orban's government – ​​which is frequently criticized for its authoritarian leadership. They argued that the tax would limit access to and exchange of information on mass media. They also feared the negative impact of the new law on small businesses and on access to information and education in impoverished areas. Judit Nagy-Korsa, 55, told AFP: "This is a backward idea, contrary to the majority of countries that are striving to make the internet accessible to their citizens."

This bill has also drawn considerable criticism in Brussels, Belgium. Neelie Kroes, the European Commissioner for Science and Technology, commented on her Twitter account that the tax is "a disgrace to consumers and a shame for the Hungarian government."

Thuc Anh

(According to Le Monde)