A new report reveals Apple spent $8.1 million lobbying the European Union last year, making it one of the largest tech spenders—a surge that now sees the digital sector outspend the pharmaceutical and automotive industries combined.
BRUSSELS (Market Insider) – The escalating regulatory clash between Big Tech and the European Union has reached unprecedented financial levels, with a new report highlighting the enormous sums companies are spending to influence policy in Brussels.
Apple is now among the heaviest hitters, having spent €7 million (approximately $8.1 million) on EU lobbying activities over the past year, placing it second only to Meta in the tech sector’s lobbying league table.
The findings from watchdog Corporate Europe Observatory reveal that the entire digital industry’s annual lobbying budget has surged by 33.6% in just two years, jumping from €113 million in 2023 to €151 million today. This financial might means the tech sector’s lobbying outlay now exceeds the combined spending of the traditionally powerful pharmaceutical and automotive industries.
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) Battleground
Apple’s surge in spending is directly tied to its ongoing, existential battles with Brussels over new legislation like the landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims to curb the power of ‘gatekeeper’ tech giants.
Apple is now actively campaigning for the DMA’s repeal. To advance its agenda, the company reported holding 76 separate meetings with Members of the European Parliament and high-level European Commission staff over the past year.
The Meeting Frenzy: Tech giants are engaging with regulators daily. From January to June 2025, the largest tech corporations held 146 meetings with top Commission officials, averaging 1.17 meetings per working day. Top Spenders (USD): Meta leads the spending at $10 million, while Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft are tied for second place at approximately $8.1 million each.
An Institutionalized Influence
The report emphasizes that the lobbying figures are likely underestimates, as EU transparency rules only cover meetings with senior staff. Furthermore, Big Tech often lobbies through sophisticated, collective channels:
Apple’s Pervasiveness: “Apple is a member of all but one of the 15 largest tech-focused think tanks and industry organizations that actively lobby the EU,” the report notes.
The unprecedented lobbying effort indicates that tech firms view the EU’s aggressive regulatory approach—from antitrust disputes to the DMA—as the most significant strategic threat to their global business models. The battle is now squarely focused on whether legislation can survive against the massive financial and organizational resources deployed by Silicon Valley’s titans.
