Social media companies cozy up to new administration after spending record sums on lobbying in 2024

As Big Tech cozies up to the new administration, its influence on Capitol Hill has never been stronger.

A new Issue One analysis of recently filed federal lobbying reports found that several major tech companies spent record-breaking amounts on their lobbying operations in 2024, as Congress debated new legislation designed to protect kids online, create data privacy safeguards, and guard against undue influence of foreign adversaries.

Alphabet (the parent company of Google and YouTube), ByteDance (the parent company of TikTok), Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram), Microsoft, Snap (the parent company of Snapchat), and X (formerly known as Twitter) combined to spend a staggering $61.5 million on lobbying in 2024 — an increase of nearly 13% compared to spending in 2023. And together, these six tech companies employed nearly 300 lobbyists in 2024 — or one for every two members of Congress.

Half of these companies — Meta, ByteDance, and Snap — spent record sums.

“This record-breaking lobbying blitz from social media companies is part of their strategy to curry favor with powerful politicians,” said Issue One Senior Research Director Michael Beckel. “It’s no coincidence that tech companies spent tens of millions of dollars cozying up to politicians as commonsense safeguards for kids online failed during the last Congress. While tech titans are putting up a fight, bipartisan momentum continues to build to combat the toxic online information environment that hurts our kids, our national security, and our democracy.”

Issue One Vice President of Technology Reform Alix Fraser added: “The reason the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act that passed the Senate in a 91-3 vote died in the House at the end of the last Congress was simple: money. Tech companies killed a commonsense product liability bill that would have protected children. As a result, more kids will die this year because tech titans’ money thwarted congressional action.”

Meta alone spent a record $24.4 million on lobbying in 2024 — a 27% increase from what it spent on lobbying in 2023, and the most the company has spent on lobbying in any year since it first started federal lobbying in 2009. This included $5.6 million between October and December. Meta’s 2024 lobbying efforts were powered by 65 lobbyists — one for every eight members of Congress.

ByteDance spent a record $10.4 million on lobbying in 2024 — an approximately 19% increase from what it spent on lobbying in 2023. This marked the most the company has spent on lobbying in any year since it first hired federal lobbyists in 2019. This included $2.3 million in the fourth quarter alone. ByteDance’s 2024 lobbying efforts were powered by 55 lobbyists — one for every ten members of Congress — and came at a time when its Chinese government-aligned owners are trying to avoid divesting or shutting down to comply with a law passed with bipartisan support in early 2024.

Three other tech companies — and one major tech-aligned trade association — also intensified their lobbying operations in 2024.

Read Issue One’s full analysis.