Big tech’s attempts to weaken information space regulations worldwide exposed by new cross-country investigation supported by RSF

The collaborative cross-border journalistic investigation was able to identify nearly 3,000 lobbying actions by Big Tech targeting governments and parliaments around the world - all documented in an interactive public database. Over 40 journalists from 17 media outlets working in 13 countries participated in the nine-month project, which published over 20 stories starting on 9 September. RSF contributed as a technical advisor on legislation, regulation and the lobbying tactics of digital platforms seeking to hamper regulation of the online information space.

The investigation highlights the shocking global reach of these anti-regulation efforts. In Brazil, Google and Meta orchestrated an offensiveagainst the "Fake News Bill" (PL 2630) put forth in 2020 which aimed to tackle disinformation, bring transparency to political advertising and content moderation, and ensure remuneration for journalistic content. The companies falsely claimed that the law would "ban the Bible," launched a barrage of paid ads, and held over 200 meetings with lawmakers to stall its progress. By 2023, the bill was scrapped. Across the world, in Indonesia, Google strongly attacked regulations that would impose some form of compensation for news publishers using its platform, leading the tech giant to avoid binding obligations on algorithm transparency and sector-wide revenue-sharing.

Shadowy lobbying networks

The investigation reveals a decentralised influence network, operating through former officials, trade associations and front groups that hide the platforms' direct involvement. A notable example is former Brazilian President Michel Temer, who acted as an unofficial intermediary for big techcompanies during negotiations on platform regulation, a striking case of revolving-door lobbying.

Between 2019 and 2025, the investigation identified 2977 lobbying actions by big tech companies across ten countries and the European Union (EU), involving 1,414 company representatives and 2,506 public officials. Their tactics included:

• Revolving-door lobbying: Hiring former public officials to lobby on behalf of the companies.

• Astroturfing: Funding civic or academic initiatives that appear independent, but oppose regulation in a way that benefits the interests of major online platforms.

• Legal evasion through extraterritoriality: Arguing that national laws do not apply when data is processed abroad, an argument notably used in Ecuador and Colombia to resist the enforcement of national privacy legislation.

• Disinformation campaigns: Promoting the idea that regulation amounts to censorship or threatens innovation, a narrative repeated across the world.

The fight over content remuneration and Google News Showcase

Laws that require major online platforms to pay for the journalistic content they use - known as barganing codes - are a major battleground. Google and Meta have tried to block or weaken these initiatives by:

• Signing confidential deals with selected media outlets.

• Launching PR campaigns that frame regulation as bureaucratic overreach.

• Applying diplomatic pressure via foreign governments.

The investigation also scrutinises Google News Showcase, a news content aggregator promoted as a 1 billion USD investment in journalism. In practice, it has made newsrooms financially dependent on revenue from Google, weakened negotiations for bargaining codes and could be used as a shield by the company from honouring copyright claims when training their AI models.

About the investigation

The Invisible Hand of Big Tech was led by Agência Públicaand CLIP with partners working in 13 countries, including Cuestión Pública(Colombia); Daily Maverick(South Africa); El Diario.AR(Argentina); El Surti (Paraguay); Factum(El Salvador); ICL(Brazil); Investigative Journalism Foundation (Canada); La Bot(Chile); Lighthouse Reports (International); Núcleo (Brazil); Primicias(Ecuador); TechPolicy.press(USA); N+ Focus (Mexico); Tempo(Indonesia); The Crikey(Australia). In addition to RSF, the investigative consortium was also supported by the human rights NGO El Veinte office (Colombia).