US tech giants Google and Facebook increased spending on lobbying US authorities to new all-time high last year amid increased scrutiny of various watchdogs into the two companies' activities, disclosure data of filings to US Congress revealed
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd January, 2019) US tech giants Google and Facebook increased spending on lobbying US authorities to new all-time high last year amid increased scrutiny of various watchdogs into the two companies' activities, disclosure data of filings to US Congress revealed.
Google increased lobbying expenditures by 17.5 percent year-on-year to $21.2 million, while Facebook's spending on lobbying were up 9.6 percent year-on-year to $12.62 million in 2018, data revealed on Tuesday.
Previous records were $18.22 for Google in 2012 and $11.51 for Facebook in 2017, historical data shows.
In the fourth quarter alone, Google and Facebook spent $4.9 million and $2.83 million on lobbying, respectively.
Digital companies like Facebook and Google have been repeatedly criticized by users and regulators in the past few years over lack of efforts to properly ensure users' privacy and protect their personal data. In March, Facebook faced a huge scandal after it emerged that personal data of about 50 million of its users had been harvested by Cambridge Analytica without their permission via a special app. The information was allegedly used to help target political advertising.
On Friday, media reported that US regulators had convened to discuss imposing a massive fine against Facebook for failing to protect user data.
