Germany’s Culture Minister, Wolfram Weimer, has called for the breakup of Google, accusing the tech giant of avoiding taxes and abusing its dominant market position in Europe.
His bold comments were made during an interview with Politico’s Berlin Playbook Podcast and have already stirred controversy across international circles.
“We need to address Google on all fronts. Best of all would be to break it up,” Weimer said.
Weimer claims that Google:
Pays little or no taxes in countries where it makes massive profits
Abuses its market power to crush competition
Contributes little back to society, despite benefiting from European infrastructure, media, and culture
He specifically pointed out that Google channels most of its European profits through Ireland, where corporate taxes are significantly lower.
“They earn billions here and sneak it all out through Dublin,” he added.
His comments come shortly after the European Commission fined Google €2.95 billion (approx. $3.47 billion USD) earlier this month for unfair advertising practices.
This brings Google’s total EU fines to nearly €10 billion over the past few years.
The European Union has long criticized big tech firms, especially those based in the United States, for dominating the digital market while avoiding fair taxation.
U.S. President Donald Trump has strongly opposed such European actions against American tech companies. He labeled the recent fine as “very unfair” and has threatened trade penalties against countries that impose taxes or penalties on U.S. firms.
This situation could further strain relations between Europe and the U.S., especially with trade talks already tense.
In fact, earlier this year, Trump walked away from trade talks with Canada after it proposed a digital services tax, which it later dropped under pressure.
Minister Weimer revealed earlier this year that Germany is planning to introduce a new digital tax, possibly 10% on the revenue of major tech platforms like Google, Meta, and Amazon.
“A 10% rate would be moderate and legitimate,” he told Stern magazine in May.
He argues that these companies make huge profits in Germany while avoiding taxes that local businesses are forced to pay.
Weimer’s comments are likely to spark more debate within the European Union and beyond. Some European lawmakers support stronger regulation of tech giants, while others worry that breaking up companies like Google could hurt innovation and digital progress.
At the same time, international trade tensions are rising, and how the U.S. government responds to these growing calls for tech regulation in Europe will shape the future of global digital policy.
