In the three companies that spend most of their money on behind-the-scenes political pressure (lobbying) in Europe in a fight against strict new laws aimed at limiting the powers of American tech giants focuses new research.
The study published on Tuesday (31/8) points out that these three companies are the unit Google of Alphabet Inc, Facebook Inc and Microsoft Corp.
Such efforts should be a wake-up call to EU policymakers to strengthen draft laws and lobbying rules, warns research from the Corporate Europe Observatory and LobbyControl.
THE The technology sector spends more than the pharmaceutical sector, fossil fuels, chemicals and the financial sector, which once dominated lobbying, according to the survey.
“The growing firepower of the big tech companies and digital technology as a whole reflects the huge and growing role of (these) sectors in society,” the study was quoted as saying by the Athens News Agency.
“It is remarkable and should be a matter of concern that platforms can use this firepower to ensure that their voices are heard – over opposing and critical voices – in the public debate about how to build new rules for digital platforms “is added.
According to the survey, 612 companies, groups and associations spend more than € 97 million a year lobbying for EU digital economy policies. The data were entered by companies in the EU Transparency Register by mid-June this year.
Google comes in first with 5.75 million euros, followed by Facebook with 5.5 million euros, Microsoft with 5.25 million, Apple with 3.5 million, Huawei Technologies Co Ltd with 3 million and Amazon.com Inc in sixth place with 2.75 million, according to the survey.
Google and Huawei have said they will enter their lobbying data into the EU transparency registry.
“We have established clear policies to protect the independence of the people and organizations we fund, including a requirement to disclose funding,” Google said in an email.
Microsoft said: “The European Union has been and remains a major stakeholder in Microsoft. “We seek to be a constructive and transparent partner for European policymakers.”
Facebook, Apple and Amazon have not responded yet.
The lobbying of technology companies focuses on two important pieces of legislation. The law on digital markets states what is allowed and what is not allowed in technology giants, and the law on digital services requires companies to do more to control the content on their platforms.
The investigation warns of industry access to the European Commission, as lobbyists were involved in three-quarters of the 270 meetings held by Commission officials on the two bills.
It also lists the role of trade and business associations, think tanks, and even political parties in promoting the narrative of the technology industry.
The European Commission has rejected the criticism.
“The Commission is open to meetings with anyone who wishes to speak to us. The Commission does not and will not control who requests meetings or how often. “It is also not up to the Commission to explain or comment on the lobbying strategies of representatives of different companies and interests,” a spokesman said in an email to Reuters.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
