Skepticism towards major U.S. technology corporations is widespread in Germany. A recent YouGov survey for “Welt am Sonntag” found that two-thirds of German citizens believe that companies such as Amazon, Google, Meta, Apple, SpaceX, and OpenAI now wield too much influence in the country. Specifically, 66 percent of respondents hold this opinion, while only 18 percent disagreed, and 17 percent remained undecided. The polling institute collected data from 2,411 individuals between July 10 and 13, 2026.
This critical view is particularly strong among supporters of the Green Party, where 85 percent stated that U.S. tech companies have become too influential. Similarly, 77 percent of supporters of the Left Party hold this view. The skepticism is also significantly above average among voters of the SPD and the CDU/CSU, at 74 and 72 percent, respectively. Voters affiliated with the AfD were more reserved, with less than half (47 percent) agreeing with the statement, and 34 percent not viewing the influence of U.S. tech companies as excessive.
The critical sentiment is also tied to age and educational background. While 60 percent of people aged 18 to 29 speak of excessive influence, this figure rises to over 70 percent among those over 60. Skepticism also grows with education level: 73 percent of respondents with a high level of education feel the tech giants hold too much power, compared to 58 percent in the group with a lower educational background.
When asked about the reasons for their assessment, the primary concern cited was Germany’s growing dependence on the United States, named by 63 percent of those who criticized the companies’ influence. Nearly as many, 59 percent, accuse the tech corporations of establishing monopolistic structures. Furthermore, 55 percent voiced concerns regarding dangers to data protection and privacy.
Another significant worry centers on the impact of digital platforms on public debate. More than half of the critics (53 percent) are convinced that these companies influence public opinion through the use of algorithms. Additionally, three out of ten respondents see a risk that these corporations could influence political decisions or legislative processes in Germany.
The deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) also generates reservations, though it is not the central point of the criticism. A quarter of respondents who believe the corporations’ influence is too great fear disadvantages for employees and job losses due to AI applications. Furthermore, 22 percent see the risk of growing social inequality.
