Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Big tech spends big money lobbying EU. Will this bribery system will work as effective it works in USA?

Big tech spends big money lobbying EU. Will this bribery system will work as effective it works in USA?

Tech industry giants outspent big pharma and fossil fuel companies trying to win influence and shape policy in Brussels, a new study has found.

Google spends more on attempting to influence decision makers and shape regulations in the EU than any other company or organisation, a new study published on Tuesday has found.

The study, which compiled data submitted by companies to the EU Transparency Register up to mid-June this year, found that tech firms collectively dominate lobbying efforts in Europe, with hundreds of companies, business groups and associations all spending €97 million a year on attempting to influence EU institutions.

The tech sector now outspends the pharmaceutical, fossil fuel, finance and chemicals industries, according to the study released by Corporate Europe Observatory and Lobbycontrol.

"The rising lobby firepower of big tech and the digital industry as a whole mirrors the sectors' huge and growing role in society," the study said, as it called for the EU to strengthen lobbying rules and transparency.

Tech, big spender


The study found that 612 tech and digital sector companies, groups and associations spend more than €97 million annually lobbying on EU digital economy policies. Of those, over 20 per cent were US-based, with Chinese companies accounting for less than one per cent.

Google topped spending at €5.75 million, followed by Facebook at €5.5 million euros, Microsoft at €5.25 million, Apple at €3.5 million, Huawei at €3 million and Amazon in sixth place with €2.75 million, the study said.

Overall, 10 tech firms, Vodafone, Qualcomm, Intel, IBM, Amazon, Huawei, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and Google accounted for over a third of the sector's lobbying spend in Europe.

European Commission officials held the majority of meetings about key digital legislation with big tech firms and their representatives, the study said


Google and Huawei told Reuters that they submit their lobbying data to the EU transparency register.

"We have clear policies in place to protect the independence of the people and organisations we sponsor, including a requirement to disclose funding," Google said.

"The European Union has been and remains an important stakeholder for Microsoft. We seek to be a constructive and transparent partner to European policymakers," Microsoft said.

Facebook, Apple and Amazon did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Tech companies buying access


Tech and digital companies focused their lobbying efforts on the EU's proposed Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Digital Services ACT (DSA), the study found.

The two pieces of EU legislation seek to control Big Tech's "gatekeepers" by applying stricter competition rules, forcing greater transparency in advertising and making them responsible for illegal content hosted on their platforms.

According to the study, some 75 per cent of the 271 meetings EU Commissioners held to discuss the DSA and DMA were with tech companies or their associated trade groups.

"The economic and political power of the digital giants is hefty, and they are not going to remain passive in the face of possible new rules that affect the way they conduct their business," said Tommaso Valletti, economics professor at Imperial College London and former chief economist of the Competition Directorate of the EU Commission.

"That‘s why the EU institutions urgently need to change the way they handle this lobbying and limit the power of big tech".

The study also highlighted the role played by think tanks and even the EU Parliament's political parties in promoting the tech industry's points of view.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
×