Facebook reportedly spent more on lobbyists in the first quarter of 2018 than it has ever before as the company faces increased scrutiny over data breaches and censorship.
According to a Recode report, Facebook spent more than “$3.3 million to steer lawmakers on privacy, security, online advertising and transparency efforts, among other issues.”
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently testified before Congress, and his company and entities associated with it donated to 46 of the 55 Members on the House Energy and Commerce Committee that questioned him.
After the 2012 election, Facebook went on a spending spree in D.C., amassing a bipartisan group of Swamp denizens to help Zuckerberg’s FWD.us political group push for amnesty legislation and massive increases in H-1b visas for technology companies.
Facebook, which reportedly spent $11.5 million on Swamp lobbyists in 2017, is now actively looking to hire at least 11 more DC lobbyists to more aggressively defend its own interests as the company has come under fire from both sides of the political aisle after the 2016 election.