1/8
#ElonMusk’s takeover of #Twitter has made many reflect on:
➡️Concentration of social & political power with super-rich
➡️Shocking treatment of its workforce
➡️Threats to content moderation
➡️Undermining of democracy
➡️Pandering to far right forces
bit.ly/3Uv7ISQ
2/8
#Twitter’s track record was already bad to begin with:
🚩Fines for selling users’ data
🚩Breaching EU data laws
🚩Algorithm has amplified hate speech
And all to sustain its business model based on surveillance advertising
nytimes.com/2022/11/04/opi…
3/8
What about #Twitter’s EU lobby footprint? Since it joined EU lobby register in 2014, #LobbyFacts’ archive shows Twitter has boosted its yearly spending declaration at least six fold to €300,000-399,999
lobbyfacts.eu/datacard/twitt…
4/8
#Twitter has been a regular visitor to Commission’s Berlaymont building for 51 high level meetings since 2014 & likely many more at lower levels.
Topics include “disinformation” & the EU Digital Services Act.
Twitter often meets alongside Meta/ Facebook, Google etc
5/8
#LobbyFacts also reveals that #Twitter has had multiple EU lobby intermediaries:
🇪🇸 Law firm
🇪🇺 Lobby firms: Hanover Comms, Hill&Knowlton + NOVE
🇺🇸 Lobby firm Albright Stonebridge
Twitter is also member of DOT Europe which lobbies for #BigTech
lobbyfacts.eu/datacard/dot-e…
6/8
Like many other #BigTech platforms, #Twitter reports that it runs its EU lobbying out of Ireland ... thereby benefitting from preferential tax rates for Silicon Valley corporations
thecurrency.news/articles/29570…
7/8
Check out #Twitter’s other lobby declarations:
🇮🇪 lobbying.ie
🇫🇷 hatvp.fr/fiche-organisa…
🇩🇪 lobbyregister.bundestag.de
🇺🇸 opensecrets.org/federal-lobbyi…
8/8
#Tesla also active at EU level, reporting €300,000+ annual lobby spend, x15 increase since 2015. It also uses lobby intermediaries...
If you want EU lobbying low-down on any of #ElonMusk’s companies or another EU lobbyist, check out LobbyFacts: lobbyfacts.eu
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