The digital industry has reached a new record in lobbying investment. It spent €151m per year to influence EU decision-making. This represents a 33.6 per cent increase since 2023 and 55.6 per cent since 2021, according to a new joint analysis by LobbyControl and CEO (Corporate Europe Observatory).
Digital industry lobbying is spending significantly more than other fields. For example, the ten largest digital companies spent a total of €49m on lobbying, which is more than the ten largest corporations in the pharmaceutical, financial, or automotive industries combined. In addition, the amount pending for the biggest 10 companies is roughly a third of the total spending in the digital sector. Among them are Meta, which leads the field with €10m, followed by Microsoft, Apple and Amazon.
More lobbyists than MEPs
The number of full-time lobbyists representing digital companies in Brussels has surged from 699 to 890, now exceeding the total number of Members of the European Parliament, who number 720. Notably, of these 890 lobbyists, 437 hold lobbyist passes granting them nearly unrestricted access to the Parliament. DigitalEurope, Google, Microsoft, and GSMA Europe are among the most represented, with dozens of accredited lobbyists each.
Furthermore, between January and June 2025, Big Tech representatives held 378 lobbying meetings with senior Commission officials and MEPs, averaging three meetings per working day. Amazon was the most active, with 43 meetings, followed by Microsoft (36), Google (35), Apple (29), and Meta (27).
Artificial intelligence, in particular, dominated the agenda, featuring in 40 percent of all Commission meetings. Other recurring topics included data centres and cloud services, the Digital Services Act (DSA), the upcoming Digital Fairness Act, and the Digital Markets Act.
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In addition, the analysis indicates that tech giants are expanding their influence networks through consulting firms, lobby agencies, and think tanks. Over €9 million now flows annually to consultancy and PR firms. Think tanks such as Bruegel, the Centre for European Reform, CEPS, and CERRE now receive funding from all five major digital corporations: Google, Meta, Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft.
Deregulation climate fuels Big Tech lobbying
The surge in lobbying comes amid deregulation talks. Calls for “simplification” or even a “pause” in implementing complex digital rules have gained traction, notably from Commission advisor Mario Draghi.
A decade of progress in digital rights is at stake – Corporate Europe Observatory and LobbyControl
According to LobbyControl and Corporate Europe Observatory, this wave of deregulation coincides with unprecedented lobbying spending and growing external pressure from the US government under Donald Trump. Washington has repeatedly criticised the EU’s Digital DSA and DMA, threatening with possible trade retaliation.
Together, these developments form what the NGOs describe as a “toxic mix” that risks reversing years of progress on digital rights, fair competition and data protection in the EU, leaving “a decade of progress in digital rights is at stake”.
