Alexander Schweitzer, chair of the Länder‑Rundfunkkommission and a member of the SPD, has called for a rapid introduction of a digital levy on foreign technology firms to safeguard media diversity in Germany and in the individual states.
Said the Minister-President of Rhineland‑Palatine to the “Rheinische Post” (Saturday edition): “We urgently need an instrument in Germany that protects the diversity of the media in the Länder and in the country as a whole”. Schweitzer explained that AI systems use editorially produced content, further process it, and then offer it free of charge. “This is throwing many private media business models into doubt” he added.
The AI systems are, in the vast majority of cases, supplied by U.S. or Chinese tech giants and their platforms. “So far these companies receive no tax from Germany whatsoever” said the SPD politician. “Despite this, their tax burden is generally very low. This is highly unfair to our media providers” he criticised.
Moreover, the platforms can determine through their algorithms what users see and what they do not. “This skews reality, influences the political climate, and thereby affects the public debate space” Schweitzer said of the commission chair.
He added that reliable information-produced in accordance with journalistic duty of care-has become increasingly difficult for citizens to distinguish from misinformation. “This is extremely dangerous for the media landscape in Germany, which is essential for freedom of opinion and diversity” he warned. “It is a democritical and media‑freedom issue, not primarily an external‑policy tool to, for instance, strengthen the European position in tariff or trade disputes”.
Schweitzer will discuss the instrument and its mechanism with his colleagues from other Länder. He withheld a precise figure for the tax. “We will first consult in the circle of Minister‑Presidents on the appropriate amount. But we need speed” he said. “A proposal should emerge from the Minister‑Presidents’ conference within this year, outlining how we can strengthen and protect our media position-and hence democracy. Time is running out for media providers”.
