Google’s Remarkably Close Relationship with the Obama White House, in Two Charts
theintercept.com
theintercept.com
"In 2012, staff at the Federal Trade Commission recommended filing antitrust charges after determining that Google was engaging in anti-competitive tactics and abusing its monopoly. A staff report that was later leaked said Google’s conduct “has resulted — and will result — in real harm to consumers and to innovation in the online search and advertising markets.”
The Wall Street Journal noted that Google’s White House visits increased right around that time. And in 2013, the presidentially appointed commissioners of the FTC overrode their staff, voting unanimously not to file any charges."
(Disclaimer: I singled out that name because I knew the name from my time at Google. And, indeed, nothing about his job role before or after would qualify as lobbyist, unless you consider anyone who's ever worked a government contract a lobbyist.)
Google has gone to bat to protect the privacy of the average American and they've pushed to open up markets with unnecessary artificial barriers to entry protecting the incumbents. Sometimes the interests of the average person and the commercial interests of a company align, and when that happens it's important we know that it's happening, but are also aware that it's in our best interests.
Even Microsoft lately has started to go to bat on behalf of the average American by suing the government over warrantless requests for information and abuses of the third-party doctrine.
The Barack Obama one was likely the most viewed, as he was relatively unknown then.
Interesting the answers he gave and the state of politics and regulation 8+ years afterwards.