Alphabet-owned Google, Facebook and Microsoft have become the three biggest lobbying spenders in Europe, where they are combating stringent regulations aimed at ensuring free trade practices and curbing the growing influence of Big Tech companies in the bloc, a new report shows.
Google spent €5.8 million ($6.8m) on lobbying in an effort to manipulate the EU’s digital economy policies, said a report from the Brussels-based non-profit research firm Corporate Europe Observatory and Cologne-based Lobbycontrol, which provides information about lobbying and power structures in the EU.
The economic and political power of the digital giants is hefty and they are not going to remain passive in the face of possible new rules that affect the way they conduct their business
Tommaso Valletti,
professor of economics at the Imperial College
Facebook spent (€5.5m), Microsoft (€5.3m), Apple (€3.5m), Huawei (€3m) and Amazon (€2.7m), said the report, which is based on data submitted to the EU Transparency Register.
“As Big Tech’s market power has grown, so has its political clout. Just as the EU tries to rein in the most problematic aspects of Big Tech … from disinformation, targeted advertising to excessive market power … the digital giants are lobbying hard to shape new regulations,” the report said.
“They are being given disproportionate access to policymakers and their message is amplified by a wide network of think tanks and other third parties,” it added.
Consequently, some companies are facing stricter regulatory scrutiny in Europe and are being pushed to change their monopolistic practices.
In June, Google settled a 2019 antitrust case that alleged the technology company had abused its dominant position in the industry and agreed to pay €220m to French authorities and to change the way its online advertising works.
In February, it was fined $1.3m by French authorities for misleading consumers with its ratings of hotels and tourism destinations.
The latest study found that 612 companies, groups and business associations spent over €97m annually lobbying on the EU’s digital economic policies and institutions. Technology companies are the biggest spenders in EU lobbying, ahead of pharmaceuticals, fossil fuels, finance and chemicals.
“The economic and political power of the digital giants is hefty and they are not going to remain passive in the face of possible new rules that affect the way they conduct their business,” said Tommaso Valletti, former chief economist of the competition directorate at the EU Commission and professor of economics at the Imperial College.
Ten companies are responsible for nearly a third of the total monies spent on tech lobbying. Vodafone, Qualcomm, Intel, IBM, Amazon, Huawei, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and Google spend more than €32m in the EU.
Out of all the companies lobbying the EU on digital policy, 20 per cent are based outside of the US. Less than 1 per cent have head offices in China or Hong Kong.
“Chinese firms have so far not invested in EU lobbying quite as heavily as their US counterparts,” the report said.
The extensive lobbying resources of Big Tech reflects the sector’s “increasing dominance in the economy and in society as a whole”.
“It is not just Big Tech’s lobby firepower that is a problem … its business models threaten to undermine people’s rights, fair competition and democratic decision-making in our societies,” the report said.
With big bucks and a towering presence, Big Tech is trying hard to prevent the emergence of EU rules that will force them to change the way they operate in Europe
Agustin Reyna,
director for legal and economic affairs at European Consumer Organisation
It added the “alarming power of the digital sector should be a wake-up call” to put in place stricter lobbying regulation both at the EU and member state levels. It suggested implementing new measures to limit the power of corporations that might use their economic clout to shape legislation according to their interests.
“What is most striking is how Big Tech is trying to control the narrative around regulating digital markets and services through its extensive use of think tanks, industry groups, high-level names and consultancies and academic research,” said Agustin Reyna, director for legal and economic affairs at Brussels-based European Consumer Organisation.
“With big bucks and a towering presence, Big Tech is trying hard to prevent the emergence of EU rules that will force them to change the way they operate in Europe.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Pakistan Super League
Previous winners
2016 Islamabad United
2017 Peshawar Zalmi
2018 Islamabad United
2019 Quetta Gladiators
Most runs Kamran Akmal – 1,286
Most wickets Wahab Riaz –65
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
The past Palme d'Or winners
2018 Shoplifters, Hirokazu Kore-eda
2017 The Square, Ruben Ostlund
2016 I, Daniel Blake, Ken Loach
2015 Dheepan, Jacques Audiard
2014 Winter Sleep (Kış Uykusu), Nuri Bilge Ceylan
2013 Blue is the Warmest Colour (La Vie d'Adèle: Chapitres 1 et 2), Abdellatif Kechiche, Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux
2012 Amour, Michael Haneke
2011 The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
2010 Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Lung Bunmi Raluek Chat), Apichatpong Weerasethakul
2009 The White Ribbon (Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte), Michael Haneke
2008 The Class (Entre les murs), Laurent Cantet
MATCH INFO
Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
