Big Tech companies pump more than $51 million into lobbying this year, as industry seeks to thwart passage of Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act

It has been almost three months since the Senate passed the Issue One-endorsed Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act in a nearly unprecedented 91-3 vote. But the House has yet to vote on this commonsense legislation, with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) recently calling it “very problematic” and refusing to allow it to move forward. Against this backdrop, a new Issue One analysis shows that Meta, ByteDance, and other Big Tech companies spent large sums on lobbying in the third quarter of 2024.

“Social media companies are continuing to spend millions on lobbyists and lies to kill legislation that would establish responsible online safeguards that would protect the futures of our children and our democracy,” said Issue One Vice President of Technology Reform Alix Fraser. “Despite this lobbying blitz, the House should follow the Senate’s lead in passing the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act to create a healthier online environment. Elected officials must listen to the voices of the people and hold Big Tech accountable.”

Issue One’s new analysis found that Big Tech has pumped more than $51 million into lobbying thus far in 2024, nearly 14% more than the amount the same organizations collectively spent on lobbying during the same time period in 2023.

Meta alone spent a record $18.9 million on lobbying during the first nine months of 2024 — a 29% increase from what it spent on lobbying during the same period in 2023, and the most the company has spent between January and September in any year since it first started federal lobbying in 2009. This includes more than $5 million in the third quarter alone. Meta’s lobbying efforts in 2024 have been powered by 66 lobbyists — one for every eight members of Congress. 

Similarly, ByteDance spent a record $8.1 million on lobbying during the first nine months of 2024  — a 9% increase from what it spent on lobbying during the same period in 2023, and the most the company has spent between January and September in any year since it first hired federal lobbyists in 2019. This includes $2 million spent in the third quarter alone. ByteDance’s lobbying efforts in 2024 have been powered by 53 lobbyists — one for every 10 members of Congress.

Tech-aligned trade associations — including NetChoice and TechNet — have also intensified their lobbying efforts in Washington this year. As has lobbying efforts by OpenAI, the company behind the popular AI tool known as ChatGPT, which spent $1.25 million on lobbying during the first nine months of the year, including $430,000 in the third quarter alone.

Support for Big Tech reform — especially measures that protect kids’ online safety — is at an all-time high. A poll released in September by Issue One, ParentsSOS, and Fairplay found that nearly nine in 10 Americans across party lines want Congress to curb the harmful impact of social media on young people. The more that Big Tech companies try to avoid regulations, the more the need to protect users from these companies becomes apparent.