Weimer advocates Google's destruction as the optimal solution
In a recent podcast interview with Politico's "Berlin Playbook," Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer voiced his concerns about the market power of US tech giant Google and its impact on the democratic foundation of Germany.
Weimer, an independent politician in Berlin, accused Google of paying virtually no taxes in Germany and giving nothing back to society. The tech giant makes billions in profits in Germany with huge margins, but manages to slip out via Dublin, avoiding paying taxes.
According to Weimer, Google is affecting the media landscape in Germany, absorbing content from local radios, TV stations, and print media. This, he believes, threatens free opinion formation in the country.
Weimer sees Google as a threat to democracy in Germany, as its market power destroys the media landscape and thus the free formation of opinions. To minimise this threat, he is calling for the breakup of Google and stricter regulations for US tech companies.
The US government has been demanding changes to the strict EU digital laws for some time. These laws aim to combat the spread of misinformation on platforms and affect companies like Amazon, Apple, Meta (Facebook), Google, and Microsoft.
The trade dispute between Germany and the US is relevant to US corporations, as US President Donald Trump threatened state retaliation after an EU antitrust fine against Google. Weimer, however, has called for stronger regulation at the EU level for Google.
It's worth noting that no new facts were provided about the gastronomy in Leonberg or the protests in France during the podcast discussion.
The controversy surrounding Google's market power and its impact on democracy is an ongoing issue in Germany and the EU. As the tech giant continues to grow and evolve, the debate about its regulation and the protection of democratic values will likely continue as well.
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