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Big Tech Sets EU Lobbying Record at €151 Million as Brussels Weighs Softer Digital Rules

NGOs link the surge to a Commission push to “simplify” digital policies, prompting warnings that hard‑won safeguards could be diluted.

Overview

  • The tech sector’s EU lobbying spend has reached €151 million a year, up 33.6% since 2023 and roughly double the 2021 total.
  • Meta leads declared spending at €10 million, with Microsoft, Apple and Amazon at about €7 million each, and a handful of firms accounting for roughly a third of the total.
  • Industry access has expanded to about 890 full‑time equivalent lobbyists, 437 Parliament access badges and an average of three daily meetings with senior EU officials and MEPs through June.
  • The number of digital companies and associations active in Brussels has grown from 565 in 2023 to 733 in 2025.
  • Figures come from the EU Transparency Register using a conservative method, as NGOs warn of a push to weaken the DSA, DMA and AI Act, while EU leaders and U.S. authorities led by President Trump press for looser rules.