Meta launches $10M+ super PAC to influence AI politics in California

Meta has created its own California-focused super PAC called “Mobilizing Economic Transformation Across (Meta) California,” allowing Mark Zuckerberg to spend unlimited corporate funds on political campaigns supporting the company’s AI interests. This unprecedented move gives Zuckerberg essentially personal control over a corporate super PAC, enabling Meta to spend tens of millions defending its priorities in the heart of the tech industry—potentially even against AI-friendly candidates who might favor competitors.

What you should know: Meta’s super PAC represents an unusually direct corporate political intervention, distinct from typical industry coalitions.

• Campaign finance experts tell The Verge that companies rarely create their own super PACs, especially those controlled by a single individual like Zuckerberg.
• Meta confirmed plans to spend “tens of millions of dollars as part of the initial investment” and will determine decision-making structures once operational.
• The timing coincided with another AI super PAC launch—Leading the Future—which operates as a traditional industry coalition with multiple participants.

Why this matters: Meta’s solo approach allows Zuckerberg unprecedented control over corporate political spending without answering to other shareholders or industry partners.

• “It’s essentially a way for [Zuckerberg] to spend the company’s money on his political choices, whereas at a company like Google, there’s not a single person who’s a majority shareholder who can dictate what the company does,” Rick Hasen, a UCLA law professor specializing in election law, told The Verge.
• Unlike coalitions that benefit entire industries, Meta could run attack ads against pro-AI candidates who favor competitors’ interests.

The California focus: Meta is targeting the state where AI regulatory battles will effectively set national standards.

• California has passed some of the strongest AI laws in the US and is proposing the most stringent standards in the country, including SB 53, which would compel AI companies to disclose safety protocols.
• With Congress unlikely to pass comprehensive AI regulation soon, California’s laws would effectively govern the entire industry.
• The state houses the AI industry and nearly 40 million residents that companies compete to serve.

Strategic timing: The super PAC announcement came as California lawmakers wrapped up their legislative session, creating maximum political pressure.

• “It was designed for maximum intimidation,” said Sacha Haworth, executive director of the Tech Oversight Project, a nonprofit organization focused on Big Tech accountability.
• The timing could target Governor Gavin Newsom, who faces a 30-day decision period on AI bills and has future political ambitions.
• Big Tech companies already spent $2.5 million on California lobbying in the first half of 2025, with combined spending of $22.5 million in 2024.

What they’re saying: Meta positions the super PAC as defending California’s innovation leadership.

• “Sacramento’s regulatory environment could stifle innovation, block AI progress, and put California’s technology leadership at risk,” said Meta’s VP of public policy Brian Rice.
• “The threat is that a big tech company is going to give hundreds of millions of dollars to help your opponent win,” Haworth explained.

Competitive dynamics: Meta’s isolation from the broader AI coalition suggests strained industry relationships.

• “I just don’t think Meta was invited to the other AI party,” Haworth said, noting Zuckerberg’s aggressive talent poaching from competitors like OpenAI.
• Dave Kasten from Palisade Research, a policy research firm, suggested Zuckerberg “may have ruffled too many feathers in his quest to poach top-tier research talent.”

Broader implications: The super PAC could extend beyond AI issues to influence California’s political landscape.

• Meta could weigh in on tech-related ballot initiatives, following precedent set by rideshare companies’ $180 million Proposition 22 campaign in 2020.
• Upcoming elections include congressional redistricting votes and the 2026 governor’s race, both of significant interest to tech corporations.
• “Since he controls the company, if [a super PAC] is something he didn’t want to do, I’m sure they wouldn’t be doing it,” Hasen noted.