Business Bytes
May 7, 2010

An Internet Usage Tax?

 

Last month, Microsoft made a lot of people mad by suggesting an internet usage tax to help improve Windows security. The idea was verbalized by CVP Scott Charney, who added, 'You could say it's a public safety issue and do it with general taxation.'

Critics of this argue that malware and security issues are a sign of product failure and that end-users should not be asked to pay for it. Proponents, however, argue that 'those who benefit from this cybersecurutiy should be responsible for its price tag.'

The technology industry has been the engine of growth of the U.S. economy for decades precisely because it is not interfered with by Uncle Sam.  It is not regulated to death like the money losing airline and automobile industry (now owned by our government) or subsidized and distorted like agriculture (where 2/3 of the price of every bushel of corn is your tax dollars at work.)

So now we're going to take this engine of growth and destroy it?  Please say "no!"

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Curt Finch has more than two decades of software development and distributed workforce management experience. In 1997, Curt created the world's first internet-based timesheet application and the foundation for the current Journyx product offering. Curt has a B.S. in Computer Science from Virginia Tech. His book, All Your Money, is available on Amazon. @curtfinch