Google spent $1.4 million to lobby on China operations, open Internet rules in first quarter
By APTuesday, April 20, 2010
Google: $1.4M on 1Q lobby on China, other issues
WASHINGTON — Google Inc. spent $1.4 million in the first quarter to lobby the federal government. Issues include its decision to stop censoring search results in China and the tussle over open Internet rules before the Federal Communications Commission.
The spending was up 57 percent from $880,000 in the same quarter a year ago. At that pace, Google’s lobbying tab would be on track to climb even more in 2010 than it did last year, when spending rose 42 percent to $4 million.
Google has been steadily stepping up its presence in Washington in recent years and engaged in all sorts of high-profile technology policy debates.
According to a disclosure report filed with the House on April 19, Google lobbied Congress, the FCC, the Commerce Department, the Justice Department and other agencies.
