Germany’s leading public and commercial media organisations have called for tighter regulation of Artificial Intelligence (AI), warning that global tech platforms are becoming powerful “AI gatekeepers” that threaten media plurality, revenues and democratic discourse.
In a joint statement, public broadcasters ARD and ZDF, the commercial broadcasters’ industry association VAUNET and publisher organisations BDZV and MVFP urged policymakers to establish “fair framework conditions” for a diverse information ecosystem in the age of generative AI.
According to the groups, Germany’s media sector, which they described as one of the most diverse globally, is under pressure due to inadequate regulation of digital markets and insufficient protection for investments in digital editorial content. They warned that large technology platforms are increasingly able to use journalistic content to power their own AI-driven information services without investing in reporting or content creation.
This dynamic risks shifting audience attention and value creation away from media companies, potentially reducing publishers and broadcasters to mere data suppliers for AI systems, according to the organisations. They also cautioned that AI-generated summaries could replace original journalistic output, undermining business models and editorial independence.
The statement calls for coordinated action across copyright, media and competition law. A central demand is to strengthen publishers’ control over how their content is used by AI providers, including for training and generating outputs, and to ensure fair remuneration when such content is exploited commercially. The groups also argue that transparency obligations are needed so that AI platforms disclose how journalistic material is used.
On the media regulation side, the organisations highlight the growing role of digital platforms in aggregating and presenting news, effectively determining which information users access. They argue that generative AI amplifies this influence and requires safeguards to ensure visibility, source attribution, non-discrimination and sustainable funding for journalistic content.
The intervention follows a recent resolution by the European Parliament on copyright and generative AI, adopted on 10 March 2026, which called for stronger protections for media organisations. The German groups welcomed the move and urged the federal government to play an active role in shaping forthcoming EU legislation.
