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
97 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
97 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
97 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
97 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
97 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
97 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

iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Announces 13 Automakers Planning to Offer iPhone Car Keys

Friday June 27, 2025 11:42 am PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple said that 13...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
anker power bank recall

PSA: Anker Recalls Multiple Power Banks Due to Fire Risk

Friday June 27, 2025 4:16 pm PDT by
Popular accessory maker Anker this month launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may be a fire risk. The first recall affects Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022 in the United States. Anker says that these power banks have a "potential issue" with the battery inside, which can lead to overheating, melting of plastic...
Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Wednesday June 25, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services. Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year. If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will...
replay all time playlist apple music

Apple Music Debuts All-New Personalized Playlist

Monday June 30, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
As part of its 10-year celebrations of Apple Music, Apple today released an all-new personalized playlist that collates your entire listening history. The playlist, called "Replay All Time," expands on Apple Music's existing Replay features. Previously, users could only see their top songs for each individual calendar year that they've been subscribed to Apple Music, but now, Replay All...