Lebanon on Thursday announced a new tax on internet calls made through messaging applications, a move meant to boost the cash-strapped state's revenues but which sparked widespread user outrage.
Information Minister Jamal Jarrah on Thursday said that users will be charged a 20 cent fee for each call made through messaging applications such as WhatsApp and Viber.
The decision approved by cabinet on Wednesday will go into effect on January 1, 2020, he told reporters after a cabinet session, adding that the move will bring $200 million into the government's coffers.
Jarrah did not provide more details but Lebanese digital rights group SMEX said the country's main mobile operators are already planning to introduce new technology that will allow them to detect whether users are trying to make internet calls using their networks. "Lebanon already has some of the highest mobile prices in the region," SMEX said on Twitter.
The latest policy "will force users to pay for internet services twice," it added. TechGeek365, another digital rights group, said it contacted WhatsApp and Facebook regarding the matter.
Comments
Comments are closed.