Sarkozy: Internet giants should be taxed

Internet giants such as Twitter, Google and Facebook should pay taxes on online advertising revenues in France, French President Nicolas Sarkozy says. "It is unacceptable that they have a turnover of several billion euros in France without paying tax," he said in an interview Wednesday, suggesting his government should consider taxing the revenues. A proposed tax on online advertising revenues was rejected last year by French lawmakers who feared it would hurt small local companies more than global Internet companies, Radio France Internationale reported. A Google spokesman, responding to Sarkozy's remarks, argued "the Internet offers a wonderful opportunity to generate growth and jobs in France." Internet companies contributed $80 billion to the French economy in 2009 and could create 450,000 jobs by 2015, the spokesman said. "This positive contribution would have a better chance of coming about in an environment that is supportive of the Web in France and of investment in the sector," he said. "Public policy should support this."