Technology
U.S. tech giants spent big on lobbying in 2018
New filings shed light on some of U.S. tech giants' less visible lobbying efforts.
K Street, home to the some of the most powerful lobbyists in Washington, D.C. Shutterstock
Big Tech is living up to its name in lobbying spending, with companies like Amazon, Google and Facebook setting new lobbying records in 2018, according to new disclosures. Data privacy will likely take center stage this year for the industry, but the new filings shed light on some of these companies’ less visible lobbying efforts.
Microsoft and Amazon have launched competing efforts to win a $10 billion contract with the Department of Defense, while Google has directed dollars towards immigration issues, including H-1B visas that many in the tech industry say they rely on for new talent.
In toto, Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Facebook spent nearly $58 million on lobbying efforts last year. But as Recode’s Rani Molla points out, that amounts to a drop in the bucket for these behemoths.
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