Google spent $18M lobbying D.C. in 2012. Apple spent $2M
Chart: PED. Source: OpenSecrets.org. Click to enlarge.
FORTUNE — The last time we looked at Silicon Valley’s lobbying efforts, Google (GOOG) was the big spender and Apple (AAPL) the piker. (See For every $1 Google spends lobbying, Apple spends 10¢.)
That hasn’t changed much in the past nine months. In fact, Google increased its political spending in 2012 — a Presidential election year — by nearly 90%, while Apple reduced its by 13%.
(The biggest percentage increase, by the way, was Facebook’s (FB). It upped its D.C. spending nearly 200%, from $1.35 million to just under $4 million.)
Where did Apple spend its $2 million? According to the company’s LD-2 disclosure form, the money was spread out pretty thinly over a wide range of issues, among them:
- Taxation (including the repatriation of profits earned overseas)
- Education (including the use of digital textbooks in schools)
- Telecommunications (including open Internet and children protection issues)
- Environment (including electronic waste, Energy Star and EPEAT standards)
- Trade (including free trade and border issues)
- Consumer Issues (including privacy protection and the Do Not Track Me Online Act)
- Investments and the SEC (including implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act)
- Transportation (including the use of technology in cars and airplanes)
- Computer Industry (including cybercrime)
- Appropriations (including government precurement rules)
- Media (including electronic publishing)
- Medical (including the regulation of mobile medical devices)
Thanks to setteb.it‘s Fabio Zambelli for the link to Apple’s LD-2.
Meanwhile, I recommend once again This American Life‘s Take the Money and Run for Office. It’s a fascinating inside look at big-time lobbying that will change the way you look at Washington politicians.
