Google, Facebook and Microsoft top EU lobbying spending table

Big tech is fighting back against tough new laws aimed at curbing their powers

Google topped lobbying spending at €5.75m. File picture

Google, Facebook and Microsoft are the three biggest lobbying spenders in Europe in a battle against tough new laws aimed at curbing US tech giants' powers.

Such efforts should be a wake-up call to EU policymakers to beef up the draft laws and lobbying rules, a study by campaign groups Corporate Europe Observatory and LobbyControl warned.

The tech sector outspends even the pharma, fossil fuels, finance and chemicals sectors, which used to dominate lobbying, the report said.

"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.

"It is remarkable and should be a cause of concern that the platforms can use this firepower to ensure their voices are heard – over countervailing and critical voices – in the debate over how to construct new rules for digital platforms."

€97m annual spend on lobbying

The study found 612 companies, groups and associations spend more than €97m annually lobbying on EU digital economy policies. The data was submitted by companies to the EU Transparency Register up to mid-June this year.

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

The study warned about the industry's access to the European Commission, with lobbyists involved in three-quarters of the 270 meetings commission officials had on the two draft laws.

The European Commission rejected the criticism.

• Reuters