German Culture Minister Weimer calls for platform levy and European TikTok acquisition (heise.de)

• Weimer plans platform levy on streaming services by end of 2026.
• He calls for European purchase of TikTok and creation of 'TikTok Europe'.
• Bundesrat resolution from December 2025 cited as precedent.

"German Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer announced plans for a platform levy on streaming services to be implemented by the end of 2026, aiming to support media publishers. In an interview with Welt am Sonntag, he also called for the creation of a European-owned TikTok entity to ensure data protection and youth safety, citing a Bundesrat resolution from December 2025. Weimer urged direct negotiations with ByteDance and sought European investors for the acquisition."