Meta Launches AI Super PAC to Fight Regulation Laws

Meta has launched a political warfare campaign that could reshape artificial intelligence regulation for years.

For context, last year, Meta spent $7.64 million on lobbying in Q1 2024, deploying 30 well-connected lobbyists across seven firms. Microsoft spent $2.56 million and registered 68 AI lobbyists.

In the latest move, Meta’s super PAC, known as the American Technology Excellence Project, will allocate tens of millions of dollars to its cause, according to Axios.

What makes Meta’s move especially controversial is its corporate-controlled structure. Thanks to Mark Zuckerberg’s unique ownership arrangement giving him complete control of Meta, he has essentially created a personal political war chest. Critics argue this transforms corporate wealth into unprecedented political power, potentially giving Meta outsized advantages.

Earlier this year offered a tell. A proposal to bar U.S. states from regulating AI for 10 years almost made it into the federal budget before it was struck down. When preemption failed, companies pivoted to bare-knuckle state politics.

What this means for your digital future

The implications spill far beyond boardrooms. Meta says the super PAC will focus on “putting parents in charge of how their children experience online apps and AI technologies”. Family-friendly on its face, it could still undercut systematic safety rules.

The strategy could include running attack ads against pro-regulation candidates, even if those candidates are broadly pro-AI but back policies that benefit rivals. That shifts the game from industry-wide lobbying to company-specific warfare aimed at kneecapping competitors while shielding Meta.

Consider what that means. A company that allowed romantic AI chatbot conversations with children now wants more sway over who gets elected to oversee AI safety. And the same corporation that cybersecurity company CrowdStrike says has AI models “likely being used by cybercriminals” is buying political influence to avoid accountability.

The next few months will test whether democratic institutions can keep real oversight of AI, or whether corporate spending rewrites the rulebook. With California’s gubernatorial race approaching in November 2026 and Governor Newsom weighing the current bills, the battle lines are bright and close.

Meta’s move signals a new era where Big Tech does not just lobby politicians, it owns them. Will this transform AI regulation? Or will voters notice in time?