Gate – Gizmodo

Apple is seeking to rejoin its place alongside Meta and Amazon as a member of the four-dollar club of corporate political influence.

Apple, Meta and Amazon increased their lobbying spending in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period last year, with Apple increasing its spending by almost 100%. This huge change comes as all these companies look to the future volley antitrust legislation rolling through the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate that, if passed, threatens to destroy key elements of Big Tech’s business models.

Apple spent a record quarterly amount of $2.5 million Meta AND Amazon He spent $5.4 million and $4 million, respectively, according to documents first submitted to Congress mottled through the Hill. While Apple’s overall spending is lower than the other two giants, it has seen a staggering 71% increase over the amount spent in the same quarter last year. It’s also apparently 34% increase from the amount Apple spent last quarter. Big Tech is no stranger to massive lobbying, but historically speaking, Apple has been slightly less culpable than its competitors. This degree of separation, however, may disappear completely if the company continues to lobby at this level.

Meta and Amazon haven’t tightened their belts either. Meta that he broke its quarterly lobbying record at the end of 2021, it increased its spending by 13% compared to the same period last year. Amazon increased its spending by 4%. Meta is currently facing multiple antitrust lawsuits, including one led by the Federal Trade Commission. Amazon, on the other hand, has faced fewer legal attacks, but Washington Attorney General Karl Racine recently filed an antitrust lawsuit against it ejected by an American court.

Gizmodo spoke with Tech Oversight Project deputy executive director Kyle Morse, who drew a direct line between all of the increased spending and real concerns about the impact of new antitrust laws.

“Big Tech spends enormous amounts of money on lobbying and misleading advertising campaigns to silence the majority of Americans who want to stop them,” Morse said. “Bottom line: They are scared because they know antitrust is bipartisan and gaining momentum in Congress.”

Apple vs. the Open Markets Act

While many antitrust actions are currently being considered, there is one bill in particular: Open Markets Act, this would especially sting Apple. The bill, proposed by senators Richard Blumenthal and Marsha Blackburn, would prevent app marketplace operators like Apple from using questionable tactics to secure preferential treatment. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted in favor of the resolution achievement this legislation in February. He has a bill support smaller (though not companies) like Spotify and Epic, who have complained about Apple, at times dramatic fashion, for what they consider a restrictive platform riddled with overly high fees. For example, Epic released this ad in 2020, comparing Apple’s App Store policies to George Orwell’s 1984 policies.

Apple did not immediately respond to Gizmodo’s request for comment.

Gizmodo spoke with senior policy analyst at the American Economic Liberties Project, Krista Brown, who said Apple’s huge spending increase was likely the result of many factors, but believes concerns over the Open Markets Act almost certainly played some role.

“We would be foolish not to notice that the Open App Markets Act, which is similar to legislation that is being hotly fought in state legislatures, passed the Senate Judiciary by a 20-2 majority,” Brown said. “There is overwhelming support for breaking Apple’s app store monopoly, and Apple’s increased spending shows they are trying to stifle these efforts.”

Apple’s top representative has also not been silent about his position on antitrust laws. Last week, in a speech at the IAPP Global Privacy Summit, Apple CEO Tim Cook criticized the legislation and made the “if you regulate us, we can’t secure your iPhone” argument. (Apple has done this before)

“Here in Washington and elsewhere, policymakers are taking steps in the name of competition that will force Apple to allow iPhone apps to circumvent the App Store through a process called sideloading,” Cook said According to CNBC. “This means data-hungry companies will be able to bypass our privacy policies and re-track our users against their will.”

Cook also spoke out against the prospect of sideloading the app, which he said would “potentially allow bad actors to bypass the comprehensive protections we have put in place.”

Tim Apple, as the company’s CEO known by one Florida resident, he is not alone. Mark Isakowitz, Google’s vice president of government affairs and public policy, also sharply criticized antitrust actions earlier this year. “This bill could destroy many of the consumer benefits that current payment systems provide and distort competition by excluding gaming platforms, which means Congress is trying to artificially pick winners and losers in a highly competitive market,” Isakowitz said According to CNBC.

Big Tech may not like these antitrust efforts, but the public does. Last questionnaire conducted by Morning Consult found that 67% of American adults believe that the benefits provided by big tech companies do not outweigh the risks posed by their increased power. About two in five adults said there should be more regulation of tech companies, up from about 3 in 10 who said this the previous year. 42% of all adults surveyed said they believed antitrust investigations into tech companies would be effective.

“Studies show that corporate lobbying works, so it’s no surprise that Big Tech companies have redoubled their efforts to stop the growth of their power,” said Brown of the American Economic Liberties Project. “But even a record surge in fancy advertising spending and a new team of lobbyists can’t hide the reality that Big Tech companies pose a threat to our economy and democracy. Policymakers on both sides of the conflict and at every level of government are now fully aware of this reality, and we expect them to act decisively.”

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