BigPockets in BigTech: Record Spending Keeps the Regulators Tied Up in Knots

Amazon spent over $20 million on federal lobbying in 2021. In a close second place came MetaFacebook. The world’s largest social media platform only spent a couple of $100k less than Amazon on promoting their agenda in Washington. That’s an increase of around 7% for both of them on the year before and the most either of them has spent on lobbying.

”Amazon and Meta are the top 2 lobbying spenders amongst individual companies in Washington.”

By comparison, Google (only) spent $10 million on lobbying, which was still a 27% increase over 2020, as did Microsoft. The rest of BigTech dwarfed Apple’s lobbying spend at a mere $6.5 million (maybe that’s because Apple’s spending is directed towards their most important market, China).

The data comes from filings submitted to Congress at a time when the huffing and puffing continues by US lawmakers. There’s lots of talking of a crackdown on BigTech’s monopolisation of markets and imposing its sheer scale and dominance to crowd out competition and innovation. But so far, little concrete action.

The BigTech giants are currently focused on the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, known as AICO. This is legislation introduced by Senators…