Sector & service specialists

Digital sector lobbying activity has increased substantially since the European Commission launched its flagship digital single market strategy. Since the beginning of Ursula von der Leyen’s tenure as president of the European Commission, tech companies and lobbying groups have had hundreds of meetings with EU officials to discuss the DMA and the DSA. Apple, Amazon, Meta, Google and Microsoft all boosted their lobbying spending, according to the EU Transparency Register.

A key priority for the EU has been to create a digital single market where the free movement of goods, persons, services, capital and data is guaranteed — and where citizens and businesses can seamlessly and fairly access online goods and services, whatever their nationality, and wherever they live. Brussels is home to more than 15 trade associations involved directly with digital services and technology, from Digital Europe to the Business Software Alliance. Although Google and Microsoft are the two biggest corporate affairs spenders in Brussels, in the words of one tech commentator: “There are new actors who have come to Brussels, lots of them which didn’t exist 20 years ago. They’ve gone from being economically insignificant to being economically substantial, so they want to be part of the policymaking process.”

Transparency International recently stated: “For decades, Silicon Valley companies have turned traditional business models on their heads. From streaming movies to turning private cars into taxis, these companies are known for both innovation and shaking-up the markets they operate in. A similar phenomenon is happening in Brussels where Silicon Valley companies are rapidly changing the lobbying scene. As a result, they are fast becoming the largest, most influential and most transformative players in town.”

In April 2024 Tech Times reported: “the surging lobbying of major tech companies. In December, CorporateEurope Observatory (CEO) and LobbyControl reported that tech giants’ Brussels lobbying has increased to €113 million a year to influence EU digital legislation. According to research, 651 corporations and groups spend over €113 million annually lobbying for EU digital legislation. This is a 16.5% increase from 2021’s €97 million. The top 10 digital businesses spend €40 million on lobbying, more than a third of the total. The Digital Markets Act (DMA), Digital Services Act (DSA), and the EU’s proposed AI laws have fuelled this increased lobbying.