Meta Platforms is launching a multi-million dollar state-level political action committee tech PAC, the American Technology Excellence Project, to elect pro-technology candidates and influence over 1,000 AI-related bills, introduced across the US in 2025, according to [SOURCE].
The aggressive lobbying push coincides with Meta’s deepening integration into national security, such as the use of its Llama AI models by NATO allies and US Army. CEO Zuckerberg is redirecting Meta’s trajectory from social media giant to a defense technology powerbroker.
Meta lobbying through the bipartisan PAC could counter state regulations, such as California’s proposed restrictions on AI chatbots for minors. To legitimize its approach, the Facebook-parent insists that overregulation threatens US innovation.
Meta is betting that political advocacy and defense integration will secure its place in the AI future as states push their own AI rules and global competition heats up.
Big Tech Lobbies Against Antitrust
Axios reports the PAC will be led by Republican strategist, Brian Baker, and Democratic firm Hilltop Public Solutions to attract lawmakers from both sides.
Rachel Holland, the company’s spokesperson, said the group will work to promote US technology leadership, advocate for AI progress, and put parents in charge of how their children experience online apps and AI technologies.
The move underscores the deeply growing intersection of Big Tech and politics, moving beyond innovation and paving the way for a new technological reality. As regulations increase, companies are setting up political tech shops to defend their interests.
However, critics argue this level of big tech influence on politics exposed independent regulation, while companies argue that overregulation can grind innovation to a halt when US leadership is at stake.
More than 1,000 AI-related bills were introduced by lawmakers in 50 states in 2025, covering issues from election misinformation to protections for performers’ digital portraits.
In California, two bills stand out: SB 243, launched on September 11 which restricts AI chatbots for minors, and SB 53 on September 13, which imposes stricter transparency rules on large companies.
Such arguments mirror Europe’s push for its AI Act compliance and EU AI Act prohibited practices, which already place limits on generative model usage. To Silicon Valley, such rules are evidence of the challenges of running a global business.
Meanwhile, Meta’s AI is no longer constrained to consumer products. The firm affirmed that its Llama models are being used by the US Army for planning, training, and even equipment maintenance. Moreover, it also partnered with defense contractor Anduril to create virtual reality devices for soldiers.
Access has been given to US allies within the Five Eyes community, an intelligence-sharing alliance built on trust and deep cooperation between five countries: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the US), as well as to NATO allies and countries like Japan, Germany, France, Italy, and South Korea.
Meta confirms its technology is used mostly for logistics and simulations, but admits broader military uses are possible.
Political Power Enters Defense Strategy
Meta has been clear that the tech PAC is about ensuring US dominance in the global race. Adding to that, without the support of political allies, the American innovation could fall behind international competitors.
“support the election of state candidates across the country who embrace AI development, champion the U.S. technology industry, and defend American tech leadership at home and abroad,” Meta vice president of public policy Brian Rice said about the tech PAC.
It is with such declarations that Big Tech lobbying is now extending to areas beyond the regulation of markets to domains of national power. Also, Meta’s own efforts aim at coordinating with other initiatives like the $100 million fund launched by Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI president Greg Brockman.
Collectively, these pro Pac corporation efforts reflect the growing level of big tech political contributions. Analysts say this shows not just antitrust lobbying but also broader political influence on tech policy, with the companies seeking to have a say in how generative models, data use, and military partnerships are regulated.
At the end, for Meta, the Big Tech political contributions are radical shifts. Just a few years ago, the company was criticized for allowing election interference on its platforms.
Now, it is both lobbying against regulation and bringing AI into military planning, showing the past of the AI fight and how it changed from halls of state legislatures to training grounds worldwide.
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