Tech spends big on anti-antitrust ads

Four trade groups and advocacy organizations representing the major tech companies spent roughly $2 million on Facebook advertisements opposing tech-related antitrust bills since the start of 2022. That number, which comes courtesy of an analysis of Facebook’s ad archives by Politico, will likely only increase as legislation to rein in the power of the tech giants moves through the House and Senate. Ad buys from tech trade group NetChoice made up the bulk of that spending. The group, which counts Google, Facebook and Amazon as members, spent around $1.5 million on Facebook ads targeting antitrust legislation since January 2022. The Connected Commerce Council, a business advocacy organization which receives money from Google and Amazon, came in second, with around $300,000 in ad buys opposing antitrust bills. The Taxpayers Protection Alliance spent a little less than $200,000 on similar Facebook ads, while the Chamber of Progress spent around $18,000. Robert Winterton, a spokesperson for NetChoice, said the group has used “a variety of competing ad options to educate Americans unaware of the progressive antitrust crusade against services that they rely on.” Connected Commerce Council executive director Rob Retzlaff said the group’s advertising is geared towards educating small businesses about legislation that could make their digital tools less effective. And Chamber of Progress CEO Adam Kovacevich said his group’s ads “educate voters about how the bill would impact them, and highlight Democrats who have raised concerns about the bill."