The German Minister for Culture and State Affairs, Wolfram Weimer, has called for a fundamental restructuring of Google, suggesting a potential legal separation of the company could be the optimal solution. In an interview released as part of a Politico podcast, Weimer expressed concerns about Google’s dominance and its impact on the media landscape.
He emphasized the need to address Google’s operations across multiple sectors, going beyond existing antitrust measures to include increased regulatory oversight at the European Union level. While acknowledging the EU’s progress in this area, Weimer stated that considerably more action is required. He also criticized Google’s tax practices, arguing that the company contributes insufficiently to society in relation to its substantial profits, often utilizing structures like those in Dublin to minimize its tax burden.
Weimer’s statements carry significant weight given ongoing trade tensions and criticism from the United States. Previously, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly condemned the EU’s regulatory approach to American technology companies, even threatening additional tariffs on products from countries pursuing such regulations.
Beyond concerns over monopolistic power and profit accumulation, Weimer highlighted Google’s influence on the media. He argued the company’s operations fundamentally alter the media landscape and, consequently, threaten the foundations of democratic discourse. By absorbing content from local radio stations to television channels and print media, he believes Google poses a risk to free expression and the formation of public opinion.
To counter this influence, Weimer urged public broadcasters to proactively collaborate with private media companies. He proposed a system of “embeddings” allowing public service content to be disseminated on private platforms. Notably, he criticized current resistance from some public broadcasters, asserting that the true competition lies in challenging Google’s pervasive reach.
