A super PAC affiliated with Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta has made a significant late donation to California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra, contributing $1 million. This amount includes $999,066 spread across five payments from October 20 to October 27, as revealed by campaign finance records.
This new funding adds to over $1.2 million previously donated to Becerra’s campaign in May, bringing the total contributions to more than $2.2 million—a hefty sum for the campaign.
The gubernatorial race in California is particularly important for the tech sector since many firms, including Meta, are based in the state. These companies have a vested interest in shaping legislation related to issues like artificial intelligence and social media.
Notably, outgoing Governor Gavin Newsom had vetoed a key AI safety bill in 2024, one that was lobbied against by both Meta and Google.
Becerra, who was the secretary of health and human services under former President Biden, is currently leading Republican candidate Steve Hilton in the competition to succeed Newsom.
A recent poll indicated that Becerra holds a substantial 15.7-point advantage over Hilton.
In a statement, campaign spokesperson Jonathan Underland emphasized Becerra’s commitment to accountability, stating, “As Secretary Becerra says time and time again, if you want to see what a leader will do, look at their record.” He highlighted Becerra’s previous legal actions against Facebook regarding privacy practices, asserting that he would continue to advocate for California residents.
Requests for comments from representatives for Hilton and Meta went unanswered.
This financial boost for Becerra’s campaign comes despite Meta’s reported withdrawal of $25 million from political action groups earlier in the summer, significantly cutting its campaign budget for the upcoming midterms.
A Democratic strategist expressed skepticism about Meta’s motives, suggesting this approach is typical of Zuckerberg’s strategy: “write a big check to a slam-dunk winner and hope it buys goodwill with the incoming governor.”
Mobilizing Economic Transformation Across (Meta) California was reportedly one of the groups affected by Meta’s budget cuts.
Julianna Arnold, cofounder of the nonprofit Parents Rise, raised concerns over these donations, indicating that California has an opportunity to lead in regulating companies like Meta. “My daughter was a victim of the platform, and I can’t fathom what Meta hopes to achieve with this funding,” she remarked, pointing to the necessity of seeing a governor take a strong stance on industry regulation.
This year, a California court found Meta liable in connection with a woman suffering from addiction attributed to Instagram’s addictive features, ultimately ordering the company to pay $4.2 million in damages.
Critics argue that receiving support from Big Tech poses inherent conflicts of interest for a potential governor. The anonymous Democratic strategist stated, “This is a clear attempt by Meta to secure influence before any legislative action occurs. One can only hope Becerra will prioritize doing what’s right over financial considerations once he assumes office.”
