World domination by Google & Co: are we at the mercy of the tech giants?

They promise to promote freedom of expression and democracy - but haven't they long since taken control of society and politics? US tech giants dominate the digital public sphere in Germany with monopoly positions.

Their algorithms reward excitement, extreme positions and polarisation - they put established media and parties at a disadvantage. What does the dominance of Google, Meta, Apple and Microsoft mean for politics, the community and journalism? To what extent are we at the mercy of the tech giants? Can state regulation be used to break the dominance of a few corporations and ensure diversity of opinion? What measures would even be legally conceivable? These and other questions will be explored at the next "Würzburger Kellergespräch" organised by the Law Alumni Association of the University of Würzburg and the Main-Post. One of the guests will be the Cologne-based media scientist and author ("Krieg der Medien") Prof Martin Andree. The internationally renowned Big Tech expert will discuss with Markus Oermann, Professor of Digital Ethics and Media Law at the Würzburg-Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences, and Main-Post Editor-in-Chief Ivo Knahn.

The "Kellergespräch" will be moderated by Main-Post editor Andreas Jungbauer. The audience can participate with questions and contributions