The Verge: Meta and Spotify are teaming up to lobby against Apple and Google. “Meta has joined forces with Spotify, Garmin, Match, and others to form a lobby group to represent their interests, especially as they come into conflict with those of Apple and Google. The group’s first order of business is arguing that age verification should be the responsibility of app stores, and not the apps […]
"The EU is developing a Code of Practice to govern general purpose AI, as part of the implementation of the AI Act. But Big Tech has heavily influenced the process to successfully weaken the Code."
"From the second to the third draft of the Code, obligations changed to encouragements. Prohibitions became suggestions. Best efforts, reasonable efforts."
@corporateeurope: https://corporateeurope.org/en/2025/04/coded-privileged-access
Our podcast “RESPOND news. Dispatches on the hidden threats to democracy” is out! Hosted by S-COM, we dive into the hidden forces threatening democracy.
In this episode, with our expert Fernanda Odilla, we ask: how are Big Tech giants reshaping European politics? Listen now:
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yetiC6xbV-E&t=7s SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0qUgJLyp4muZXzaSK1y1QG
https://www.europesays.com/uk/57417/ Germany triggers EU’s emergency clause for defense spending – POLITICO #Budget #Defense #Environment #EU #Europe #Finance #Germany #Investment #Lobbying #Parliament #Russia #Security #Ukraine #ValdisDombrovskis #War
#News: A Pro #Gas #LNG Group with exec. links to the Australian Liberal Party is being investigated by the ACCC for #greenwashing in the AU Federal Election. Transparency in political #lobbying is critical! #Astroturfing #Climate #Integrity #Environment https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/28/pro-gas-group-with-liberal-party-links-referred-accc-over-alleged-misleading-claims-ntwnfb
The Self-Lobbyist
Indeed, lobbyists have a bad reputation. But they have an important function in today's democracies.
What will be their function in a future democracy?
https://tiereddemocraticgovernance.org/blog_details.php?blog_cat_id=33&id=178
Search Engine Land: Google’s anti-privacy bill push sparks outrage among advertisers. “Google is being criticized for sending emails to small business owners urging them to oppose California Assembly Bill 566, legislation that would strengthen consumer privacy protections in digital advertising. The outreach campaign, which asks recipients to sign a Connected Commerce Council letter […]
The EU Commission bans officials from meeting with Huawei lobbyists after the European Parliament barred Huawei staff from its premises amid bribery scandal fallout. #EU #Huawei #lobbying #TechPolicy #Security #Bribery #Europe #Regulation #DigitalSovereignty
You're addicted to alcohol, eh? You think alcohol is bad, do you?
Well, why do you buy so much of it then? #Gotcha!
Trump-Linked Lobbyists Are Having a Hopping Good Time
What happens when citizens and experts rethink corruption together?
RESPOND's Co-Creation Workshops did just that—challenging assumptions and uncovering new perspectives. Can shared reflection lead to better policies?
https://www.eu-respond.eu/news/report-on-respond-co-creation-workshops/
#RESPOND #Corruption #CoCreation #SocialResearch #CitizenVoice #RESPONDProject #Horizon #Europe #CoCreation #Corruption #PublicPolicy #Governance #SocialResearch #EUProjects #HorizonEurope #PoliticalFinance #MediaCapture t #Lobbying #RevolvingDoors
(CalMatters) Special interests poured more than half a billion into California lobbying last year
Google, oil, utilities top the list
https://calmatters.org/data/2025/04/california-lobbying-spending-2024/
