Apple spent more on lobbying than ever before as tech execs shelled out donation...
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Apple spent more on lobbying than ever before as tech execs shelled out donations to key Republicans
Wednesday, February 1, 2023 5:47 pmNo Comments
Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft broke their lobbying spending records last year as they fended off heightened scrutiny of their business models and power over the US economy.
Facebook-parent Meta Platforms and Google-parent Alphabet spent slightly less than previous years, but they both still landed among the top 10 spenders in Washington.
Emily Birnbaum for Bloomberg News:
In total, the top tech companies spent nearly $70 million on lobbying in 2022, outstripping other industries including pharmaceuticals and oil and gas, according to a Bloomberg News tally of lobbying disclosures filed with Congress. The companies spent millions more on their wide array of trade groups, nonprofits and think tanks in Washington, but they aren’t required to disclose those numbers…
Apple spent a total of $9.36 million in 2022, a dramatic increase that tops the $6.5 million the company spent in 2021. Amazon spent nearly $20 million, outpacing a previous high of $19 million. And Microsoft, which faced battles against the other tech giants as well as the FTC, spent almost $10 million, notching just slightly more than it spent at its last peak in 2013.
Some individual tech executives increased their political giving, particularly to Republicans who are now in leadership positions overseeing the industry in Congress. Many of those Republicans have lambasted the tech giants, complaining about the companies’ power over online speech and ties to China.
Apple’s government affairs executive Tim Powderly gave $5,000 to California Republican Kevin McCarthy in the run-up to his election as House Speaker. He also gave $2,900 to Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, the new chair of the House Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over some technology issues.
MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote last month regarding Apple’s lobbying efforts, “A drop in the ocean. Apple spent more than $9.4 million on toilet paper last year.”
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