A new report out today by Recode examined how major technology companies spent a record amount of money lobbying the United States government in 2017, over issues like net neutrality, encryption, immigration, and more. In total, Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google spent about $50 million lobbying the government last year, and of that Apple alone spent $7 million.

19385 19730 czquuifvqaew02p l


Apple's spending on lobbying grew from just over $4 million in 2014 to about $4.5 million in 2015 and 2016, before greatly increasing to $7 million in 2017. In terms of lobbying, this was a record spending amount for the company, and Apple's areas of focus were said to have been encryption and immigration. The last time Apple's lobbying amount emerged was in July 2017, when it was reported that Apple spent $2.2 million lobbying the government between April 1 and June 30, 2017.

Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google cumulatively racked up a roughly $50 million tab fighting off President Donald Trump and an onslaught of new federal regulations last year — a reflection that the tech industry is increasingly under political siege in the nation’s capital.

And Apple shelled out $7 million — again, more than ever — to lobby the U.S. government over the same period. The iPhone giant continued to press forward on issues like encryption and immigration. And the company — like the rest of the industry — advocated for the tax reform law recently signed by Trump.

For the other companies, Google spent the most at more than $18 million in lobbying last year, Amazon spent more than $12.8 million, and Facebook spent $11.5 million. Google spent to "stave off new regulations targeting the content and ads" on its search engine and YouTube, while Amazon advocated for "friendlier federal rules" on online sales tax, cloud computing, and package delivery drones. Much of Facebook's 2017 lobbying was focused on its fight against "fake news" in newsfeeds.

Apple has found itself speaking out against the Trump administration for many topics over the past year. In 2017, it began with President Trump's executive order on immigration, then included protections for transgender students, environmental topics like climate change and the Paris climate deal, an overhaul to H-1B work visas, and the protection of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The fight for DACA has continued into 2018, as well as Apple's support for a program that protects the spouses of those with H-1B visas.

Because of the ongoing lobbying, Recode reported that the technology industry's 2017 political activities "may only presage a tougher and costlier clash with Washington, D.C., in the year to come."

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Top Rated Comments

lincolntran Avatar
68 months ago
Honestly, this does not concern me. If any company would make me feel at ease with their lobbying, it’s Apple.

Let’s be honest, when it comes to ethics, there is no comparison between Apple and the current presidential administration.
I’m an Apple fan, but let’s be honest. There is no ethic whatsoever in any corporation and politicians of any administration. They’re just money and power being disguised as surface ethical speeches.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
theheadguy Avatar
68 months ago
Honestly, this does not concern me. If any company would make me feel at ease with their lobbying, it’s Apple.

Let’s be honest, when it comes to ethics, there is no comparison between Apple and the current presidential administration.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thadoggfather Avatar
68 months ago
Honestly, this does not concern me. If any company would make me feel at ease with their lobbying, it’s Apple.

Let’s be honest, when it comes to ethics, there is no comparison between Apple and the current presidential administration.
This is widely up for debate

Thanks for thinking by being one of the first to reply to the thread, you have the moral high ground and ultimate authority on ethics

Tim is a virtue signaling globalist Schumer-like obsessed establishment-liberal-weirdo with dreamers always at the forefront of his mind, ahem low wages.

The $350 billion investment in USA is tremendous but it’s like drudge said:

“Tim discovers America!”
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Albright Avatar
68 months ago
$7 million? That's… a lot less than I would have guessed, actually.

But very interesting how Recode worded their article. "Fighting off President Donald Trump and an onslaught of new federal regulations?" Has Trump's administration really resulted in more of an "onslaught" of regulation than Obama's? I highly doubt that.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
magicschoolbus Avatar
68 months ago
Honestly, this does not concern me. If any company would make me feel at ease with their lobbying, it’s Apple.

Let’s be honest, when it comes to ethics, there is no comparison between Apple and the current presidential administration.
Ah yes, because it's so ethical to lobby politicians right?

The mental gymnastics the left does lately are hilarious, and to think I was a long time democrat.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PG(Austin) Avatar
68 months ago
I’m an Apple fan, but let’s be honest. There is no ethic whatsoever in any corporation and politicians of any administration. They’re just money and power being disguised as surface ethical speeches.
And let's be honest, Lobbying is just a word they like to use so they don't have to call it bribery. But that's what it is. My guess is if I try to "Lobby" a police officer that I was not speeding, I would be in jail.
[doublepost=1516735105][/doublepost]
Ah yes, because it's so ethical to lobby politicians right?

The mental gymnastics the left does lately are hilarious, and to think I was a long time democrat.
If a word is used in a non-threatening manner long enough by politicians, people think it's an innocent part of politics. Lobbying is one such word.
[doublepost=1516735937][/doublepost]
As long as that money is being spent on information campaigns and not bribery, I don't have a problem with it.
That's just it, it IS bribery. These politicians are given working budgets to hire people to research the info they need to make decisions. Corporations and organizations going to Washington for "information campaigns" is nothing more than very thing you think it's not.

Government needs to make an informed decision without feeling like their personal income depends on it.
Have you seen the net worth of these people when they FINALLY leave office? Not to mention the lifetime benefits we all provide them with. I'm not sure about you, but when I retire, my healthcare is 100% on me. And I might as well forget the social security they steal from me each month.

Fun fact: In light of the recent government shutdown, did you know there is a law that prevents Congress from working without pay during a shutdown? That's right, the very people responsible for NOT shutting down the government continue to get paid during something they are in charge of preventing. (here comes the sarcasm) But those blood sucking leaches of our Military?, they can just suck it up and work for free till they figure it out. Serves them right huh? I mean what have they done for us lately anyway? Politics first right!?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 16

Apple Releases iOS 16.4 With New Emoji, Safari Web Push Notifications, Beta Changes, Voice Isolation for Calls and More

Monday March 27, 2023 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 16.4, the fourth major update to the iOS 16 operating system that initially came out last September. iOS 16.4 comes two months after the launch of iOS 16.3, an update that added Security Keys for Apple ID. iOS 16‌.4 and iPadOS 16.4 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. It can take a few minutes...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 Will Add These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday March 26, 2023 8:06 am PDT by
Following nearly six weeks of beta testing, iOS 16.4 is expected to be released to the public as soon as this week. The software update includes a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone 8 and newer. To install an iOS update, open the Settings app on the iPhone, tap General → Software Update, and follow the on-screen instructions. Below, we have recapped eight new features and...
apple mixed reality headset concept by david lewis and marcus kane

Some Apple Employees Seriously Concerned About Mixed-Reality Headset as Announcement Draws Closer

Sunday March 26, 2023 8:25 am PDT by
Some Apple employees are concerned about the usefulness and price point of the company's upcoming mixed-reality headset, The New York Times reports. Apple headset concept by David Lewis and Marcus Kane Initial enthusiasm around the device at the company has apparently become skepticism, according to eight current and former Apple employees speaking to The New York Times. The change of tone...
iOS 17 on Phone Feature

Gurman: iOS 17 to Provide Several 'Most Requested Features'

Sunday March 26, 2023 6:05 am PDT by
Apple changed the strategy for iOS 17 later in its development process to add several new features, suggesting that the update may be more significant than previously thought, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. In January, Gurman said that iOS 17 could be a less significant update than iPhone updates in previous years due to the company's intense focus on its long-awaited mixed-reality...
apple tv 4k red image

Apple Releases tvOS 16.4 for Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD

Monday March 27, 2023 10:00 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 16.4, the fourth major point update to the tvOS 16 operating system that came out last September. Available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD, tvOS 16.4 comes two months following the release of tvOS 16.3. The tvOS 16.4 update can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the ‌‌‌‌Apple TV‌‌‌‌ by going to System > Software Update....
Steve Jobs Theater dusk

Apple Reportedly Demoed Mixed-Reality Headset to Executives in the Steve Jobs Theater Last Week

Sunday March 26, 2023 5:53 am PDT by
Apple showcased its mixed-reality headset to the company's top 100 executives in the Steve Jobs Theater last week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that the "momentous gathering" is a "key milestone" ahead of the headset's public announcement planned for June. The event was intended to rally Apple's top members of...
Apple Music Classical

Apple Explains Why It Launched an iPhone App Dedicated to Classical Music

Monday March 27, 2023 8:54 pm PDT by
Apple today published a support document explaining why it decided to release a standalone Apple Music Classical app for classical music. In short, Apple says the app was designed to support classical music's complex metadata:Classical music is different. It has longer and more detailed titles, multiple artists for each work, and hundreds of recordings of well-known pieces. The Apple Music...
iPhone 15 Pro Buttons CAD Leak

iPhone 15 Pro Low-Energy Chip to Allow Solid-State Buttons to Work When Device is Off or Out of Battery

Wednesday March 29, 2023 1:54 am PDT by
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will use a new ultra-low energy microprocessor allowing certain features like the new capacitive solid-state buttons to remain functional even when the handset is powered off or the battery has run out, according to a source that shared details on the MacRumors forums. CAD-based render of new solid-state buttons on iPhone 15 Pro models The source of this rumor is ...