|
PureBytes Links
Trading Reference Links
|
sorry for this (way) off topic post, but i think it may be interesting to
some here.
------
United Nations: Tax Email
Recently there have been some widespread hoaxes about supposed
government plans to tax Internet usage.
The following, however, is real.
The United Nations Development Program has proposed a 'bit tax' on
email. The proposal is in the UN's annual "Human Development Report,"
issued in mid-July.
UN officials say that a tax of one penny per every 100 email messages
sent would raise $70 billion a year. That money would allegedly be
used to help provide telephone and Internet service in poor nations.
"Market forces alone will not rectify the imbalance," the UN report
states. "Governance of the Internet should be widened to bring in the
needs and concerns of developing countries. To ensure that the global
communications revolution is truly global, funding is required."
"If you leave it up to the market alone, we can't be sure that the
Internet will spread fast enough and reach the people that really need
it," stated economist Kate Raworth, co-author of the report.
The United Nations has no ability to tax (yet), so the proposal is a
suggestion, or perhaps a trial balloon. Thus far it has not met with
much enthusiasm (perhaps in part because greedy governments want to
preserve any future Internet tax revenue for themselves).
(Sources: Wired News, July 27 / ZD Net News / Michael Brinkman)
|