Overview
- Reported digital-industry lobbying in Brussels rose to €151 million in 2025 from €113 million in 2023, according to analyses of EU transparency filings.
- The ten largest technology spenders — including Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Qualcomm and Google — outspent top firms in pharmaceuticals, finance and automotive combined.
- Meta led with a budget of more than $10 million, while Apple reported about €7 million and held 76 meetings with senior EU officials over the period assessed.
- Estimated full-time tech lobbyists increased to about 890, with 437 holding European Parliament access badges, alongside 146 Commission meetings and 232 with MEPs in the first half of 2025.
- Campaign groups link the surge to efforts to scale back the Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act and warn that official disclosures likely understate total influence.