Germany says it stands by streaming services law

BERLIN - The German government on Friday said it would stick with plans to impose minimum media production spending quotas in Germany on streaming services, rejecting criticism by top U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer.

• Speaking at a regular press conference, a government spokesperson said the draft law did not constitute an illegal digital trade barrier

• The new rules for streaming services selling subscriptions in Germany would impose a minimum rate of spending in the country as a proportion of overall production budgets

• "The proposed draft law is about cultural support policy and about the business environment in Germany as a centre of (media) production," said the spokesperson

(Reporting by Ludwig Burger and Andreas Rinke, Editing by Friederike Heine)

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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 6:21 AM.