Hungary’s recently proposed tax on Internet access was absurd – akin to assessing fees on reading books. But the proposal, even if discarded (though the government has hinted that it may bring the tax back in another form), remains worrisome, because it is part of a disturbing trend. A large number of countries have introduced taxes and tariffs that hamper the adoption and use of information and communications technology (ICT). This is the modern-day equivalent of eating the grain you were saving to plant next year.
