RIYADH: Apple Inc spent $2.5 million on political lobbying in the first quarter of 2022, as Congress increased pressure on technology companies on antitrust issues. Lobbying expenses for Apple increased more than 34 percent, from $1.86 million in the fourth quarter of 2021, according to disclosure reports released. They show that Apple lobbied on dozens of issues and measures, including antitrust bills aimed at curtailing the power of big technology companies. Currently, Congress is debating the Open App Markets Act, an antitrust measure with bipartisan support. Tech giants Apple and Google, among others, would be prevented from giving preferential treatment to their own products under the bill. Developers would not be required to use in-app payment systems owned by the platform under the proposed law. Furthermore, the owners would no longer be allowed to demand more favorable pricing or conditions than other app stores, or punish developers for different pricing terms elsewhere.