U.S. Tech Firms Prepare To Go To Battle

The U.S. has long been a global leader in technology, with Silicon Valley spawning some of the world's most popular internet-based companies.

In an effort to keep up, the European Union is hoping that a new, more unified set of rules governing digital firms throughout the EU will give the region a leg up in technological innovation.

However, the overhaul has spawned a closer look into U.S. tech firms' business practices, something that could set the stage for a battle between EU regulators and U.S. firms.

Probe Into Operations

An initial proposal suggested that EU regulators want to probe several U.S. tech firms to ensure that they are operating within the EU's rules.

The bloc could start looking into everything from the way firms handle their customers' data to how they order search results.

A wide-scale probe could even investigate whether or not some companies make it too difficult for users to switch services. Additionally, the bloc's unified digital landscape could start treating streaming services similarly to traditional broadcasters.

Related Link: Move Over Coffee, It's Tea Time

Lobbying Funds Rise

Such an investigation could be detrimental to companies like Netflix NFLX, Airbnb and Facebook FB— all of which are set to be reviewed. But the U.S. tech scene isn't likely to give up without a fight.

Tech firms have stepped up their lobbying efforts significantly in Europe in an effort to sway the region's political agenda in their favor.

Google Inc GOOG, already at the center of an antitrust case, has increased its "direct lobbying" budget from around €1.5 million in 2013 to nearly €4 million last year.

Microsoft Corp MSFT similarly spent around €5 million lobbying in Brussels last year.