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In The First Months of Trump Era, Facebook And Apple Spent More On Lobbying Than They Ever Have (buzzfeed.com)
An anonymous reader shares a report: According to federal lobbying disclosures filed Thursday, Facebook and Apple set their all-time record high for spending in a single quarter. Facebook spent $3.2 million lobbying the federal government in the first months of the Trump era. During the same period last year, Facebook spent $2.8 million (about 15% less). The company lobbied both chambers of Congress, the White House, and six federal agencies on issues including high-tech worker visas, network neutrality, internet privacy, encryption, and international taxation. Facebook was the 12th-highest spender out of any company and second-highest in tech. [...] Apple spent $1.4 million, which is just $50,000 more than during the final months of the Obama presidency, when it set its previous record, but the most it has ever spent in a single quarter. Apple lobbied on issues including government requests for data, the regulation of mobile health apps, and self-driving cars. Google, once again, outspent every other technology company. It was 10th overall, tallying $3.5 million.
also the next time apple is asked unlock a phone will apple put up a fight?
Buzzfeed seems to only link their own articles in their stories, so it's not convenient to fact-check them. I would have prefered some other information on this subject and since there is none in the TFA, I will provide you with some more info on this lobbying dollout:
https://www.wired.com/2016/11/...
https://www.theguardian.com/us...
http://www.cbronline.com/news/...
From an obnoxious website that I won't link because of how totally obnoxious their javascript is; you may wish to read this anyway:
The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
Now I'm wondering if Facebook's "Did you vote yet?" campaign last November was a last gasp of thinking that the system is actually democratic before just knuckling down and paying for favorable treatment or if by then they were already participating as part of the system that keeps the People cowed into thinking that their vote is a symbol of freedom rather than one of control.
Perhaps as these companies broaden out to be real multi-nationals and they gain experience with governments around the world, they're becoming astutely aware of how commonplace bribery and corruption is and that helps them lift the veil on the reality of DC politics.
We can not like it and not blame them for doing what it takes to survive at the same time. "Blame the system, not the player," as they say.
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
No more of these dime a dozen problems caused by cheap bribery, I only want to deal with massive high dollar issues caused by bribery!
The preceding post was not a Slashvertisement.
So many pockets to fill, so little time.
Only the best government your money can buy!
I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
I bet the next time Apple is asked to unlock a phone the government won't ask nicely this time.
I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
The reality is that we now have the least transparent administration in a very long time.
FTFY - The Trump Administration is discarding 40+ years of post-Watergate reforms.
Seems like the entire spine of the executive branch is open to making deals and being persuaded. Getting in there first to his brain and setting the boundaries of the conversation going forward was very smart. No wonder the president thinks he's such an easy to get along with guy. If you paint a picture of a dark world, and present the lightbulb as the only way to brighten it, you're a genius in his world.
At least be honest about it. It's bribery legalized.
Given the relative differences between how much the Clinton & Trump campaigns spent on the election (http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-campaign-spending), it seems as if the idea of buying votes is not as easy as once thought.
Help Brendan pay off his student loans
Please stop it. There are plenty of places to express your political point of view - slashdot is not one of those.
"When it comes to policy decisions, it will do the right thing, and lobbying won't have any real impact."
Yeah, this is the part people seriously doubt.
When lobbying is no longer effective, you have moved into far darker territory, where now, there is only 3 manners of decision making: Nepotism, whims, and ideological bent of the person in charge.
Dictatorships are also relatively immune to lobbying. Do we really want to end up there? Lobbying is bad, limiting access to your government is worse, since now it is completely clear the government will do whatever it wants, consequences be dammed.
Not sure that article is a clear indicator on how much was spent or by whom. It only says what Trump CLAIMS to have spent. (and he's not the most honest individual out there as his business ventures have shown)
"Imagination is more important than knowledge" - Einstein
This, in my opinion, has less to do with a Trump Presidency and more to do with both houses of Congress being held by the same majority. Where there previously was gridlock, there now is a hope for legislation actually passing at a decent volume. Why spend money on a locked congress getting next to nothing done, wait until there is some ability for action.
That being said, I do also think the content of legislation comes into play as well (tax code, H1-B).
"Corrupt rich people can't be corrupted" is a very stupid argument. How do you think they got rich in the first place?
The benefit of having government made up of rich, corrupt people is that they're already corrupted, so the little dance around ethical barriers can be dispensed with from the get-go and you can go straight to the quid pro quo.
You are welcome on my lawn.
Being rich != Corrupt
Caution: Contents under pressure
Why do you think that's the case?
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
Eh? If people are spending more on beer it could mean that beer has got more expensive. It could equally mean they're drinking more of it.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
There's ample evidence that in late-stage capitalism, being rich does indeed equal being corrupt.
You are welcome on my lawn.
From the last sentence of the summary:
Google, once again, outspent every other technology company. It was 10th overall, tallying $3.5 million.
Why was this not in the title?
To a Lisp hacker, XML is S-expressions in drag.
He's making America great again, like it was 40 years ago.
Like everything was 40 years ago...
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
... at least its all out in the open now.
Where Obama was fairly forward-looking and Hillary appeared to have a similar outlook; 45 is overtly hostile towards the technology sector and its interests in general; and the Bay Area and Silicon Valley in particular. Given said hostility on the part of the executive branch, it does make sence that Google, Facebook, Apple, and company, would look to buying themselves some congresscritters as a defensive move. Perilous times, and all that.
It's very far from an ideal situation. But tech has suffered in the past from not playing "the game". For example, in the 1990s, tech lobbying was minimal, allowing the RIAA and MPAA to blindside them by buying the DMCA. How much time and money, would you guess, has been wasted in tech complying with the copyright cartel on that one law alone? How many tech companies did their lot outright put out of business? It wasn't just Napster by a long shot. You can hardly blame tech for determining not to make the same mistake a second time.
Imagine all the people...