Facebook spent more on lobbying in the first three months of 2017 than it has in any previous quarter since registering in 2009. The company spent $3.21 million on federal lobbying in the first quarter of the year, up from $2.78 million in the same period a year before. It's the first time the company spent more than $3 million on lobbying in a quarter, according to disclosure records.
What it lobbied on: Immigration, surveillance and connectivity, among many other issues. Read the full filing here.
Why it matters: A new occupant in the White House often brings the hope of major policy changes and the lobbying dollars to match. But it's a time when Facebook also increasingly finds itself under fire over fake news and its role in the political process.
