Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said the government's plan to tax Internet use was not viable in present form. The proposal was to charge Internet users 150 forint (£0.40) per gigabyte of data usage, which would be capped at 700 forint (£1.80) for individuals and 5,000 forint (£13) for businesses every month. Orban's concession comes after dramatic protests in Budapest by tens of thousands of people who marched in the streets on Sunday and Tuesday of this week. Orban said the government would hold public consultations on the Internet tax in 2015.
Critics of the tax argued that Internet access was a right and that the tax could harm free speech.
Hungary suspends Internet tax after huge protests http://t.co/d2eFLSWetZ pic.twitter.com/YvoMdlKi50
— Mashable (@mashable) October 31, 2014
"Free country, free internet" shout protesters @ demo against internet tax #Hungary. Banner "Power fears knowledge" pic.twitter.com/EKh2lcq90w
— Lydia Gall (@LydsG) October 28, 2014
Over 40k people protesting in Hungary against the proposed Internet Tax right now! pic.twitter.com/vqZOwQtNSl
— Mind Blowing (@TheMindBlowing) October 31, 2014