German Media Jointly Call for Tighter Regulation, Demanding AI Platforms Pay for News Content
Amid global media layoffs, major German media organizations issued a joint statement demanding government regulation requiring AI platforms to pay for using news content and respect copyrights, preserving fair competition.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 19:33
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 20:01 (28 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 23, 2026 at 20:11 (9 min after Collected)
(Central News Agency reporter Lin Shang-ying, Berlin, 23rd) Amid consecutive global media layoffs, major German media jointly issued a statement this week calling on the government to strengthen regulation. They demanded that tech platforms respect copyrights and pay reasonable fees when using news content to train artificial intelligence (AI) services, preventing media from becoming free content providers and safeguarding fair competition and information diversity.
Recently, media outlets including the Wall Street Journal and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) have successively announced layoffs. Industry insiders believe that shifts in the digital advertising market and traffic flowing toward tech platforms, coupled with the rapid development of generative AI, are further changing how users access news. Although the German media has not seen a massive wave of layoffs, it has already felt the impact of AI.
On the 21st, the Association of Public Broadcasting Corporations in the Federal Republic of Germany (ARD), public television, the Digital Publishers and Newspaper Association (BDZV), the Free Media Association (MVFP), and the Commercial Broadcasting Association issued a joint statement calling on German and European Union authorities to strengthen the regulation of large tech platforms in the AI era.
The statement pointed out that under inadequate current regulations, large tech platforms are increasingly becoming the "gatekeepers" of the AI era, controlling the portals through which the public accesses information, and they can reorganize and present news content through generative AI.
The statement noted that these platforms use news content to train AI, generate summaries, or answer questions, but do not conduct interviews or reporting themselves. This causes audiences and advertising revenue to flow toward the platforms, making media operations even more difficult. If this situation continues, news might be replaced by AI-generated content, turning media into mere data suppliers, which will subsequently affect journalism quality and the diversity of information sources.
The statement raised two major demands. First, regarding copyright, if AI companies use news content, they should obtain media authorization beforehand, pay reasonable fees, and explain how the content is used.
Second, regarding media regulation, rules should be established to prevent large AI platforms from dictating which information is prioritized for display, ensuring that news sources are clearly marked, preventing AI content from replacing original reporting, and simultaneously giving different media opportunities to be seen within generative AI.
The statement highlighted that the European Parliament passed a resolution regarding "Copyright and Generative AI" in March, indicating that the EU is beginning to focus on copyright issues involved in AI training, sending a political signal to strengthen media protection.
In February, Germany passed a domestic implementation law for the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), proposing regulations on obligations like labeling deepfakes and AI-generated news content. It also emphasized that German media regulation must maintain the principle of media independence, such as "keeping a distance from the government," with each state responsible for media supervision.
Germany is currently pushing for new media regulation laws adapted to the digital age through broadcasting councils in various states. The joint statement urged that, in addition to participating in subsequent EU legislation, the federal government should also incorporate authorization and payment mechanisms for AI's use of news content into the new media regulations to respond to the transitional challenges faced by the industry. (Editor: Chen Yen-chun) 1150423
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Recently, media outlets including the Wall Street Journal and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) have successively announced layoffs. Industry insiders believe that shifts in the digital advertising market and traffic flowing toward tech platforms, coupled with the rapid development of generative AI, are further changing how users access news. Although the German media has not seen a massive wave of layoffs, it has already felt the impact of AI.
On the 21st, the Association of Public Broadcasting Corporations in the Federal Republic of Germany (ARD), public television, the Digital Publishers and Newspaper Association (BDZV), the Free Media Association (MVFP), and the Commercial Broadcasting Association issued a joint statement calling on German and European Union authorities to strengthen the regulation of large tech platforms in the AI era.
The statement pointed out that under inadequate current regulations, large tech platforms are increasingly becoming the "gatekeepers" of the AI era, controlling the portals through which the public accesses information, and they can reorganize and present news content through generative AI.
The statement noted that these platforms use news content to train AI, generate summaries, or answer questions, but do not conduct interviews or reporting themselves. This causes audiences and advertising revenue to flow toward the platforms, making media operations even more difficult. If this situation continues, news might be replaced by AI-generated content, turning media into mere data suppliers, which will subsequently affect journalism quality and the diversity of information sources.
The statement raised two major demands. First, regarding copyright, if AI companies use news content, they should obtain media authorization beforehand, pay reasonable fees, and explain how the content is used.
Second, regarding media regulation, rules should be established to prevent large AI platforms from dictating which information is prioritized for display, ensuring that news sources are clearly marked, preventing AI content from replacing original reporting, and simultaneously giving different media opportunities to be seen within generative AI.
The statement highlighted that the European Parliament passed a resolution regarding "Copyright and Generative AI" in March, indicating that the EU is beginning to focus on copyright issues involved in AI training, sending a political signal to strengthen media protection.
In February, Germany passed a domestic implementation law for the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), proposing regulations on obligations like labeling deepfakes and AI-generated news content. It also emphasized that German media regulation must maintain the principle of media independence, such as "keeping a distance from the government," with each state responsible for media supervision.
Germany is currently pushing for new media regulation laws adapted to the digital age through broadcasting councils in various states. The joint statement urged that, in addition to participating in subsequent EU legislation, the federal government should also incorporate authorization and payment mechanisms for AI's use of news content into the new media regulations to respond to the transitional challenges faced by the industry. (Editor: Chen Yen-chun) 1150423
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship from you is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the CNA "First Hand News" APP to grasp the latest news instantly.
The text, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.