Why It Matters
Epic Games Inc. filed its third-quarter 2026 in-house lobbying report covering consumer protection and mobile device app store competition, reporting $450,000 in lobbying expenditures for the quarter. With multiple app store bills pending in the 119th Congress and a committee hearing already on the record, trackers of tech antitrust legislation should note that Epic remains formally engaged as those measures await floor action.
By the Numbers
The in-house third-quarter 2026 filing reports $450,000 in lobbying expenditures, signed Oct. 20, 2026. That is up $50,000 from the $400,000 Epic's in-house registrant reported for the third quarter of 2025. The in-house figure is flat compared with the second quarter of 2026, which also reported $450,000.
Gibson Group LLC filed a separate third-quarter 2026 report for Epic at $50,000, bringing the combined total across both registrants to $500,000 for the quarter. The same two-registrant structure produced a combined $450,000 in the third quarter of 2025, a year-over-year increase of $50,000.
The in-house filing lists two lobbyists:
- Bakari Middleton, vice president, Global Public Policy, who previously served as Technology and Communications Policy Counsel in the personal office of Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)
- Corie Wright, vice president and global head of Public Policy
Broader Context
The debate over these bills is whether Congress should require Apple and Google to allow competing app stores and alternative payment systems on their platforms.
S. 2153, the Open App Markets Act (OAMA), was introduced June 24, 2025, by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, with no later committee or floor action listed. Co-sponsors at introduction included Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mike Lee (R-UT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Dick Durbin (D-IL). Middleton publicly endorsed the bill at its introduction, stating: "Apple and Google's unfair terms and exorbitant fees stifle competition and crush innovation, hurting developers and consumers alike."
Two House bills were also referred to committee: H.R. 3149, the App Store Accountability Act, was introduced May 1, 2025, by Rep. John James (R-MI) and referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and H.R. 3209, the App Store Freedom Act, was introduced May 6, 2025, by Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) and referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
At a July 22, 2026, committee hearing, Rep. Lori Trahan backed H.R. 3209, citing a report commissioned for the Coalition for App Fairness that estimated $8.9 billion in annual consumer savings. A coalition of technology trade associations, including the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and NetChoice, urged the House Energy and Commerce Committee to oppose H.R. 3209, warning that third-party app distribution would create cybersecurity and privacy risks.
The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed an amicus brief in January 2025 supporting Epic in its appeal in the Google app-store case.
The Bottom Line
Epic Games' in-house filings report amounts of $400,000 for the third quarter of 2025, $450,000 for the fourth quarter, and $450,000 in each quarter through the third quarter of 2026, with the same lobbyists, Corie Wright and Bakari Middleton, and the same consumer protection and labor issue codes across those filings. S. 2153, H.R. 3149, and H.R. 3209 were each introduced and referred to committee, and Congress.gov lists no later committee or floor action on S. 2153.
Access the Legis1 platform for comprehensive political news, data, and insights
Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article
