14 DAY TRIAL // As much as it tries not to see it, Google is getting increasingly involved in politics. And whether it likes it or not, its size means it can't ignore the world around it and just go about doing whatever it thinks is best. Not that it's not trying to, Google Books is a perfect example as the company just started scanning copyrighted books without really asking anyone's opinion, but more than ever it finds itself set back by the realities of being a huge company, again, the Google Books lawsuit and subsequent settlement, which is still under review, are eloquent. So what's a determined corporation to do in the face of increasing government opposition? Grease the wheels a little, of course, and start a serious lobbying effort.
Which is exactly what Google did and, just like anything else it puts its mind to, it has made it to the top as Google is now spending more money on lobbying in the US than just about anyone in Silicon Valley and approaching the traditional big players in the tech world like the telco companies. In 2009, it was the second biggest spender in Silicon Valley, behind just Oracle, with $4 million spent on lobbying in Washington.
Oracle spent $5.1 million in 2009, but in the fourth quarter Google spent $1.12 million compared to Oracle's $1.05 million. It's still behind names like Microsoft and IBM who spent $6.7 million and $5.4 million, respectively, in lobbying. The biggest surprise isn't that it's spending this much, it's certainly one of the biggest tech companies in the world at this point, it's that it's only been doing it for five years now, growing from spending just $260,000 in 2005. Lobbying spending from Silicon Valley has increased significantly in these years too, but Google surpassed the general trend by a significant margin.
For a company that prides itself in its motto "Don't be evil" it doesn't seem like it would need to do that much lobbying. Certainly, it believes it's always doing the right thing, unfortunately, others don't always see it as Google does. It's a bit of warped perspective on Google's part, it really believes in most of the projects it undertakes, but it's holier than thou approach is seen as somewhat arrogant attitude. The fact is the company is under increased pressure and scrutiny from government regulators which are now watching its every step, so it's probably going to need every penny it can muster to win over the politicians. [via Mercury News.com]