“While Apple’s success has earned rock-star status in Silicon Valley, its low-wattage approach in Washington is becoming more glaring to policymakers. Despite its increasing influence over consumers’ use of technology — most recently with the iPad and iPhone 4 — Apple has kept a particularly low profile inside the Beltway,” Hart reports. “‘It’s unfortunate because they are a major player in this area, and we are going to continue to have a long, in-depth conversation,’ on these topics, said Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), who presided over theprivacy hearing, referring to Apple’s empty seat at the witness table.”
MacDailyNews Take: Wonder if they’re really concerned about the lack of Apple’s presence or presents?
Hart continues, “It is one of the few major technology companies not to have a political action committee. While CEO Steve Jobs supported the presidential campaigns of Bill Clinton and Al Gore, he hasn’t been especially active in political fundraising or races. Gore now sits on Apple’s board of directors.
“Compared with other tech giants, Apple’s lobbying expenditures are small,” Hart reports. “In 2009, Apple spent only $1.5 million to lobby the federal government, less than Amazon, Yahoo and IBM. In 2009, Google, for example, spent $4 million, Microsoft $7 million and AT&T $15 million… In the first quarter of this year, Apple spent $560,000 on lobbying, according to disclosure reports. During the same period, Google spent $1.4 million and Microsoft spent $1.7 million. ‘They’ve been very focused on their own innovation, and they don’t have a history of coming to town to get their competitors regulated,’ said Jonathan Zuck, president of the Association for Competitive Technology. ‘But they’re expanding into so many areas that they’re going to find themselves in other companies’ cross hairs, so they probably should be ready to play defense.'”
MacDailyNews Take: Lack of presents, as suspected.
“‘They don’t have the arrogance of Google, nor does Steve Jobs think he’s in the Obama cabinet like Eric Schmidt does,’ one tech industry lobbyist said,” Hart reports. “To handle discussions on the Hill, Apple hired Franklin Square Group, a technology-focused lobbying firm started by Josh Ackil, former White House aide in the Clinton administration and tech adviser to former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle. Paul Margie of Wiltshire & Grannis does much of the company’s work at the FCC. Apple has visited the FCC only four times in the past three years, according to agency records.”
Hart reports, “Apple may be forced to change that strategy as it pushes into new markets.”
There’s much more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Alternate headline: “Washington insiders concerned about their palms’ lack of Apple grease.”
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “JB” for the heads up.]
@Kent
You’re full of crap. I’m a liberal and I don’t hate private enterprise. I know lots of people who have their own businesses, all of whom are democrats and quite liberal in their views, and they obviously don’t hate private enterprise. You should not believe your side’s propaganda so thoroughly.
What most liberals despise is big businesses like insurance, banks, pharma, wall street, tipping the balance their way ALL THE TIME, getting laws enacted that eviscerate their competition and enhance their own finances. I do not consider those places to be true businesses, but rather rackets.
I’m so tired of the conservative/liberal crap people spew. Most of the time, as in Kent’s case, people spouting it haven’t the slightest notion of what they’re talking about.
I’m so proud of you all I could just cry.
These days we live in a bizarro Michael Moore world in which every corporation is evil, a demonic outpost for Satan, and every CEO is some kind of low life swine who is supposed to kowtow to Congressional arrogance and delusional grandeur. And of course offer substantial bribes. Apple has $40 billion cash in the bank and you know Congress just looks at that money and salivates.
Sooner or later though, you even run out of other people’s money.
@Kent…I am glad you are gifted with such penetrating and all-encompassing inside knowledge. I am sure political groups in Canada and Japan and in other democratic countries base their platform of ‘corruption’. Why support social programs and education and clean environments when you can ‘support corruption’!
Clearly people think that corruption is a good thing so we vote them in.
If you want a generalization, how about Alll people named Kent are dumbasses (oh oh, sorry superman).
Wasn’t this a scene from Iron Man 2?
The government didn’t like Stark having so much power without government intervention. Stark’s main competitor was behind the manipulation of the government in order attempt to control Stark’s technology.
Is it just me, or are our elected and appointed “representatives” in Washington beginning to sound more and more like blackmailers and extortionists?
Of course this is nothing new.
The same sort of thing was going on in the British Parliament during King George’s reign.
Lobbying ? Isn’t that a fancy word for bribery ?
And most of the time, its always the Democrats who are looking for the cash…
congress really needs term limits, the less they do, the better off we are.
Our ‘politicians’ are addicted to fame and attention.
Doesn’t matter if it originates from love or hate.
But they go bat shit crazy if people ignore them.
This oligarchy sitting in Washington has the audacity to complain about Apple’s secrecy about their own business when congress just recently passed a health care reform law in the dark of night, keeping secret to this day, the details of the plan. We don’t even know what will and will not be covered because of their secret machinations and a host of intra-congressional bribes.
Apple is one of the most creative and innovative companies in the world. All these congressional crooked deal makers should be investigating their own corruption and stay out of other people’s business.
BTW: What good works did Jay Rockefeller ever contribute to American society?
lobodave,
Don’t worry, that piece of shit bill will never see the light of day.
Steve Jobs is a conservative Democrat, not a liberal Republican.
Doesn’t the mob kinda operarte like this too?
LOL this is stupid. Apple will be punished because the ppl in washington dosnt think Apple spends enough lobbying?
That’s what I take away from this.
So to summarize the situation: Apple is not interested in contributing to the degeneration of the USA by being part of its corporate OLIGARCHY.
I like that.
You can bet that a lot of this polyTard noise is transmitted via puppet strings from jealous, envious, FAILing, Marketing-As-Management run corporations. Village idiots will drool.
“The Democrat Party is based on corruption…”
A clue for you all:
If you don’t think the Republican party is ALSO based on corruption, you’re a polyTard.
Sorry to wake you up.
Derek Curie
Sorry – you are wrong. Republican Party , though it does have corrupt individuals, is based on the idea of Limited Government, the Constitution, the innate fallen nature of man which requires checks and balances and restraints on government power, because power unchecked will lead to tyranny. Democrats reject all of this, including the Constitution. That is why they select jurists who believe in a “living Constitution” unrestrained by the actual document. Democrats are the proof of the idea that power corrupts. The idea of 2000 page bills regulating vast areas of individual decision making, passed without being read would have made our Founders revolt. Today’s Democrats don’t mind eliminating freedoms in health care or other areas as long as the guiding policy is increased government control. Of course most Democrats today admire Castro, Che Guevarra and other dictators, so what do you expect. Derek – you need to read more and stop with the infantile notion that everything is the same.
As a non-American it chills me to see the amount of government hatred in your country. Evidence in the comments above. Sure, your government isn’t perfect, but who’s is? Remember, that without widespread support, democratic governments can quickly be undermined and the consequences for individuals and countries alike can be devastating (See WWII). Rather than pouring out all that vitriol, why don’t you people (yes, you know the one’s I mean from the comments above), get off your butts and do something about it, such as creating a new party that stands for all the things you want, or joining an existing party and changing it from within? Or maybe it’s just easier to stand on the sidelines and moan.
@Democracyaintagame
So, you are “shocked”. Were you shocked by the amount of hatred of George Bush, Dick Cheney and Ronald Reagan that came out of Europe?? Or is that “acceptable” hatred?
@Kent…’Of course most Democrats today admire Castro,’
There you go again…did you just pull that out of your very tiny hat?
And since you asked…yes, the dislike (hate is a strong word) against GWB was acceptable considering the invasion of a country based of false premises. How does that differ from other leaders that have done the same?
Canada refused to do it, not because we are wimps (we are getting our asses shot off in Afghanistan rememeber), its because you do NOT go in like that, based on what a lot of people considered a lie.
@Buster
The invasion of Iraq was supported by a large number of UN resolutions voted on by many countries based on Iraq’s failure to live up to UN resolution requirements. Also, most of the Democrats in the Senate voted for the invasion, including John Kerry and Hillary Clinton. Obama did not – but he did promise to close Guatanemo immediately and also to get us out of Iraq within 18 months. Neither is done. Both were lies.
“the dislike (hate is a strong word) against GWB was acceptable considering the invasion of a country based of false premises”
Buster-
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Your ‘über’ is showing…
You are right TT…idiots like Kent brings out the worst in me…I should exercise more restraint.
Buster
You must be Canadian. Our 51st state.
Hey MDN will you please forward all the above comments to the Committee?
@kent
No I wasn’t surprised, there are small minded people everywhere. My gripe is not about Democrats versus Republicans – robust debate between parties is healthy in a vibrant democracy. It’s also not about what Europeans might or might not think. It’s about the seemingly widespread hatred of your government from within your own country, regardless it seems, of who is in power. When the majority of people disconnect from their government, as seems to be happening in the US, democracy itself is in danger. I wonder how many people who express their hatred on these boards, have actually contributed to their communities in meaningful ways. Or are most of my fellow Apple devotees too interested in me, me, me to actually contribute to society?