BRUSSELS — Tech firms are spending more than ever on lobbying the EU amid mounting opposition to the bloc’s digital rules, according to new analysis.
The 733 digital industry groups registered in Brussels now spend €151 million a year pushing their interests, up from €113 million two years ago, per an analysis of disclosures to the EU’s transparency register by two campaign groups.
The uptick comes amid attacks from industry against EU laws like the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act — which the Trump administration says discriminate against U.S. companies — and as the European Commission prepares a massive effort to dial back its digital rulebooks.
Lobbying spending is concentrated in the hands of tech giants, mainly from the U.S., according to the analysis by Corporate Europe Observatory and LobbyControl, two non-profit campaign groups focused on corporate influence.
The ten largest technology spenders — which include Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Qualcomm and Google — outspent the top ten firms in pharmaceuticals, finance and the automotive industries combined.
Amazon, Microsoft and Meta have “noticeably” ramped up their expenditure since 2023, by more than €4 million for Amazon and €2 million for Microsoft and Meta, the analysis said. The Brussels-based lobby group Digital Europe, which includes many U.S.-based tech giants among its members, added more than €1 million to its lobbying budget.
Meta, with a budget of more than €10 million, is the overall largest lobby spender in the EU.
This is a “precarious moment,” said Bram Vranken, a researcher at Corporate Observatory Europe, arguing that years of progress in limiting the harmful effects of technology and the power of Big Tech risks being reversed.
With the deregulation push in Brussels and strong industry support in Washington, “Big Tech is seizing this new political reality to erase a decade of progress to regulate the digital sector,” he said.
Tech firms would argue that lobbying is not only about exerting influence but also about ensuring that lawmakers understand the complex realities of the industry to inform their decisions on the rules.
“Amazon engages on issues that are important to our customers, sellers, and the diverse range of businesses we operate,” a spokesperson for the U.S. firm said in a statement. “This means we work with organisations like trade associations and think tanks, and communicate with officials at the European Institutions.”
More lobbyists, more meetings
The boost in activity is seen not only in higher spending, including on consulting and advisory firms hired to influence digital policy, but also in a rising headcount of registered tech lobbyists.
There are now an estimated 890 lobbyists — calculated as full-time equivalents — working to shape the tech agenda, up from 699 in 2023.
Of these, 437 have badges allowing them to access the European Parliament freely. Access to the institution has become tougher in recent years in reaction to a series of corruption scandals — including investigations into Huawei that saw the company banned from accessing the Parliament and meeting with the Commission in March.
In the first half of 2025, representatives of tech companies declared 146 meetings with Commission staff. Artificial intelligence, including a highly disputed industry code of practice, was the main topic on the agenda.
As for lawmakers in Parliament, tech lobbyists declared 232 meetings.
Transparency rules for declaring meetings between lobbyists and Commission and Parliament officials have expanded in recent years, but transparency campaigners say they still lack teeth and accountability.
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