{"id":2592347,"date":"2026-04-18T14:10:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T18:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/someone-should-sue-to-break-up-big-techs-dc-lobby-monopoly\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T14:14:49","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T18:14:49","slug":"someone-should-sue-to-break-up-big-techs-dc-lobby-monopoly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/someone-should-sue-to-break-up-big-techs-dc-lobby-monopoly\/","title":{"rendered":"Someone Should Sue to Break Up Big Tech&#8217;s DC Lobby Monopoly"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsomeone-should-sue-to-break-up-big-techs-dc-lobby-monopoly%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2592347&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/handmaids-tale-author-under-fire-for-tweeting-article-that-asked-why-we-cant-say-woman-anymore\/\" title=\"\u2018Handm...d\u2019s Tale\u2019 ... Under Fire For Tweeting Article That Asked Why We Can\u2019t Say \u2018Woman\u2019 Anymore\">opinion piece argues<\/a> that Big Tech wields enormous influence in Washington, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pelosis-majority-crumbles-democrat-rep-tom-suozzi-will-run-for-new-york-governor-not-reelection\/\" title=\"Pelosi\u2019s Majority Crumbles: Democrat Rep. Tom Suozzi Will Run for New York Governor, Not Reelection\">spending large sums<\/a> on lobbying to shape policy and resist regulation, while federal safeguards on data, AI, and competition remain minimal after decades.<\/p>\n<p>Key points:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Big Tech spends tens of millions in D.C. lobbying and is portrayed as effectively steering policy to avoid restrictions.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The article laments the lack of federal limits on data collection\/selling and AI regulation, claiming decades of inaction have helped Big Tech amass vast value.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; It highlights court cases as attempts to rein in tech firms, citing New Mexico\u2019s Meta case and Los Angeles\u2019 YouTube\/other platform cases; it notes these cases are slow and far from conclusion.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The piece argues that Big Tech \u201cowns\u201d D.C. through lobbying and lists two major tech lobby groups, NetChoice and TechNet, whose members include Google\/Alphabet, amazon, and meta (Facebook), alongside numerous other associations.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; It provides lobbying figures for 2025: Meta about $26.3 million, Amazon about $18.9 million,and Google\/Alphabet about $16.5 million; collectively, the Magnificent Seven are heavy lobbyists, with total Mag 7 spending around $88.4 million in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The article also notes Meta, Amazon, and Google\/Alphabet channel money to many other groups and coalitions beyond NetChoice and TechNet.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The author argues that average americans cannot compete with Big Tech in D.C. and suggests antitrust action to break up their D.C. influence, rather than trying to out-lobby them.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The piece is written by Seton Motley of Less Government and includes the publisher\u2019s standard Disclaimers.<\/p>\n<p>Source context:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The views expressed are those of the author; the piece appears in the Daily Caller News Foundation and includes a Disclaimer about licensing and republishing.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_5)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_6)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_7)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_8)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_9)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_10)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_11)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_12)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Big Tech spends metric tons of lobby money.&nbsp; On just about everyone in D.C. to ensure that no one in D.C. does anything Big Tech doesn&rsquo;t like.<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">And it&rsquo;s worked &ndash; like a charm.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Thirty years of the Internet? And D.C. has passed ZERO limits on how Big Tech collects and sells our data. This dearth of limits has made Big Tech tens trillions of dollars.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Meanwhile, D.C. is <span class=\"Hyperlink0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-ai-regulation-executive-order-state-laws-9cb4dd1bc249e404260b3dc233217388\">moving at warp speed<\/a><\/span>  to ensure Big Tech can do whatever it wants to whomever it wants with Artificial Intelligence (AI). Zero federal guardrails. Whilst the feds override state and local laws, politicians and citizens are trying to at least tap the brakes.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">And D.C. spends decades trying to illegally jam Big Tech <span class=\"Hyperlink0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lessgovernment.org\/p\/executive-actions-shifting-sands?utm_source=publication-search\">mega-cronyism Net Neutrality<\/a><\/span>  down everyone&rsquo;s throats. And steadfastly protecting Big Tech&rsquo;s <span class=\"Hyperlink0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lessgovernment.org\/p\/how-did-big-tech-get-so-big-massive-government-cronyism-like-section-230?utm_source=publication-search\">Section 230 blanket amnesty mega-cronyism<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!container) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=\"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\"; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot \t\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadAnyclip(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #anyclipvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#anyclipvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">In short: Big Tech owns D.C.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">So it&rsquo;s little wonder people are trying to rein in Big Tech? They have turned to the courts to attempt to do so.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&ldquo;The message is clear,&rsquo; New Mexico Attorney General Ra&uacute;l Torrez, whose investigation resulted in a jury finding that Meta must pay $375 million for failing to protect kids from child predators, told Politico in an interview. &lsquo;It<span dir=\"RTL\" lang=\"AR-SA\">&rsquo;<\/span>s time to change the way these companies do business.&rsquo;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&ldquo;Less than 24 hours after the New Mexico verdict, jurors ruled against Meta and Google-owned YouTube in a Los Angeles social media addiction trial, ordering a total of $6 million in damages.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&ldquo;The widely popular platforms, along with others like Snap and TikTok, once appeared unstoppable as they designed their algorithms for maximum user engagement&hellip;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&ldquo;<span lang=\"DE\">Tech<\/span><span dir=\"RTL\" lang=\"AR-SA\">&rsquo;<\/span>s critics are pouncing, determined that this time they will deliver Silicon Valley its long-threatened comeuppance.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">The wheels of justice turn slowly. And by that I mean these court cases often take many years to arrive at a conclusion.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">These cases have already taken years. And they <span class=\"Hyperlink0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/03\/26\/social-media-trials-usher-in-big-techs-latest-moment-of-reckoning-00846388\">ain&rsquo;t anywhere near a conclusion<\/a><\/span>:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&ldquo;The companies have vowed to appeal.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Shocker.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">These are but two of oh-so-many lawsuits filed against Big Tech.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">There are monopoly lawsuits, privacy lawsuits, data breach lawsuits, artificial intelligence lawsuits, and on, and on.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Why are the people trying to rein in Big Tech &ndash; placing so much time, money, effort and hope in the courts?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Because they know they&rsquo;ll get absolutely nowhere in D.C.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Because in three decades? They<span dir=\"RTL\" lang=\"AR-SA\">&rsquo;<\/span>ve gotten absolutely nowhere in D.C.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Because Big Tech OWNS DC.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Behold the Lords of Lobby.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Big Tech companies are a part of at least two major tech lobby associations.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span class=\"Hyperlink0\">&bull; <a href=\"https:\/\/netchoice.org\/about\/#our-mission\">NetChoice<\/a><\/span>: &ldquo;Works to make the Internet safe for free enterprise and free expression.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span class=\"Hyperlink0\">&bull; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.technet.org\/our-story\/\">TechNet<\/a><\/span>: &ldquo;We are the voice of American i<span lang=\"IT\">nnovation.<\/span>&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Both groups have as members:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&bull; Google (Alphabet) &nbsp; Market Cap: <span class=\"Hyperlink0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/companiesmarketcap.com\/alphabet-google\/marketcap\/\">$3.3 trillion<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&bull; Amazon &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Market Cap: <span class=\"Hyperlink0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bing.com\/ck\/a?!&amp;&amp;p=79b66fcc816cbd822443af8e5961f5666198ad0fc4119ba38415c4237e598d16JmltdHM9MTc3NDgyODgwMA&amp;ptn=3&amp;ver=2&amp;hsh=4&amp;fclid=0b5720aa-4464-6c5c-2381-364d45406de1&amp;u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly9jb21wYW5pZXNtYXJrZXRjYXAuY29tL2FtYXpvbi9tYXJrZXRjYXAv\">$2.1 trillion<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&bull; (Meta) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Market Cap: <span class=\"Hyperlink0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/stockanalysis.com\/stocks\/meta\/market-cap\/\">$1.3 trillion<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Google-Alphabet owns YouTube (Market Cap: <span class=\"Hyperlink0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bing.com\/search?q=youtube+market+cap&amp;qs=n&amp;form=QBRE&amp;sp=-1&amp;lq=0&amp;pq=youtube+market+cap&amp;sc=7-18&amp;sk=&amp;cvid=5CCD3F35432F49688F6D66CA70EB7AE0\">$550 billion<\/a><\/span>) &ndash; but YouTube is also a separate, unilaterally-listed member of NetChoice.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">To make a little more manageable this analysis, we will henceforth continue to focus only on the three Big Tech companies that are members of both aforementioned tech lobby associations.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">But as you can probably guess, the Magnificent seven tech companies (Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Nvidia, and Tesla) are nigh all HIGHLY active lobbyists.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Total lobby expenditures for the Mag 7 in 2025? $88.4 million.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Back to our three&hellip;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Besides the aforementioned two associations &ndash; and even more others &ndash; Facebook-Meta also gives money to:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&bull; Business Roundtable<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&bull; Computer &amp; Communications Industry Association<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&bull; Consumer Technology Association<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&bull; Information Technology Industry Council<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&bull; Interactive Advertising Bureau<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&bull; Coalition for American Innovation<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&bull; Data Center Coalition<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&bull; And various others focused on AI, privacy, advertising, and innovation policy.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"NL\">In total, <\/span>Facebook-Meta spent <span class=\"Hyperlink0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/federal-lobbying\/clients\/summary?cycle=2025&amp;id=D000033563\">$26.3 million<\/a><\/span>  on lobbying in 2025.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Besides the aforementioned two associations &ndash; and even more others &ndash; Amazon also gives money to:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&bull; U.S. Chamber of Commerce<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"DA\">&bull; Business Roundtable<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&bull;&nbsp;National Retail Federation<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&bull; Consumer Technology Association<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&bull; Computer &amp; Communications Industry Association<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"FR\">&bull;&nbsp;Motion Picture Association<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&bull; Others like the Bipartisan Policy Center, National Association of Manufacturers, and various tech\/retail coalitions.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Wow, does a lot of that list look familiar?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">In total, Amazon spent <span class=\"Hyperlink0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/federal-lobbying\/clients\/summary?id=D000023883\">$18.9 million<\/a><\/span>  on lobbying in 2025.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Besides the aforementioned two associations &ndash; and even more others &ndash; Google-Alphabet also gives money to:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&bull; U.S. Chamber of Commerce<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"DA\">&bull;&nbsp;Business Roundtable<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&bull;&nbsp;Consumer Technology Association<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&bull;&nbsp;Computer &amp; Communications Industry Association<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&bull;&nbsp;Information Technology Industry Council<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">&bull;&nbsp;Others like the Bipartisan Policy Center, Atlantic Council, American Enterprise Institute, and various advertising\/tech coalitions.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Wow, does a lot of that list look familiar.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"NL\">In total, <\/span>Google-Alphabet spent <span class=\"Hyperlink0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/federal-lobbying\/clients\/summary?id=D000067823\">$16.5 million<\/a><\/span>  on lobbying in 2025.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">How are average Americans supposed to compete with all of this? They can&rsquo;t. Certainly not in D.C.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">So, since we can<span dir=\"RTL\" lang=\"AR-SA\">&rsquo;<\/span>t break through Big Tech<span dir=\"RTL\" lang=\"AR-SA\">&rsquo;<\/span>s D.C. lobby monopoly, perhaps someone can sue Big Tech &ndash; under antitrust &ndash; to break up their D.C <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >influence mega-cabal<\/a>?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">It can<span dir=\"RTL\" lang=\"AR-SA\">&rsquo;<\/span>t get us any less than trying to out-lobby them has.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><i>Seton Motley is a consultant and the founder and president of Less Government, an organization dedicated to, well, less government. He is Editor-In-Chief Of stopnetregulation.org, a Center For Individual Freedom Project.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><i>The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"disclaimer\">\n<p>All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/union-membership-plummets-to-record-low\/\" title=\"Union Membership Plummets to Record Low\">legitimate news publisher<\/a> that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter&rsquo;s byline and their DCNF affiliation. 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( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Paraphrase:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Big Tech spends enormous sums on lobbying in Washington, D.C. to keep politicians from imposing limits on how they collect and sell data, and to push policies that favor their interests, including how AI is governed. The article argues that this has effectively allowed Big Tech to shape policy for decades.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Despite a wave of lawsuits in courts aimed at curbing their power, most people see little real progress in D.C. The piece notes high-profile cases against Meta and YouTube (owned by Google) and suggests that court battles, while ongoing, take many years to resolve.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The author contends that Big Tech \u201cowns\u201d Washington in practice, pointing to two main industry lobbying groups-NetChoice and TechNet-that represent leading tech companies. Among their members are Google (Alphabet), Amazon, and Meta, with YouTube also appearing through NetChoice. The piece argues these groups make it hard to rein in tech giants.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Focused on three core firms, the article lists 2025 lobbying expenditures: Meta about $26.3 million, Amazon about $18.9 million, and Google\/Alphabet about $16.5 million. Together with other major tech players, the so-called Magnificent Seven (Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Nvidia, Tesla) collectively spent about $88.4 million on lobbying in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; In addition to the two big associations, each company funds other industry groups and coalitions (examples include the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable, Consumer Technology Association, and several tech-policy groups). Meta\u2019s lobbying and political giving are highlighted as substantial, and similar patterns are noted for Amazon and Google-Alphabet.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The piece ends by suggesting that when the courts fail to rein in Big Tech\u2019s DC influence, antitrust action might be the remaining path to break up or limit that influence. It cites Seton Motley (Less Government) as the author and notes that the views are his own and not the Daily Caller News Foundation\u2019s official stance.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; A number of technical elements in the text (such as embedded video scripts, form fields, and captcha-related code) are present but do not affect the main points about lobbying and policy influence<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2592348,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7626.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[5509,75181,4198,51096,5270],"class_list":["post-2592347","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-antitrust","tag-big-tech-2","tag-lobbying","tag-monopoly-2","tag-regulation"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_7626.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2592347","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2592347"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2592347\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2592351,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2592347\/revisions\/2592351"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2592348"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2592347"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2592347"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2592347"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}