Following a global IT outage that affected millions and cost billions, CrowdStrike has come under intense scrutiny and has raised alarms by significantly ramping up its federal lobbying spending. In 2023, the company spent $620,000 on lobbying—nearly a 90% increase from the previous year—raising questions about its strategy to shape policy and avoid accountability.

CrowdStrike has engaged DLA Piper to manage policies and proposals in response to Congressional scrutiny following a significant outage in July that affected airlines and businesses, which has led to threats of a $500 million lawsuit from Delta Air Lines and a request for the CEO to testify before the House Homeland Security Committee.

On July 19, 2024, a routine update to CrowdStrike’s Falcon software unexpectedly triggered a global IT outage, leading to widespread operational disruption, financial losses, and regulatory scrutiny. The incident revealed critical weaknesses in the company’s risk management and testing protocols, prompting calls for enhanced cybersecurity oversight and contractual safeguards across the industry.

On July 19, 2024, a major global computer outage severely impacted CrowdStrike, resulting in significant financial losses and lawsuits. Analysis suggests that the firm's aggressive lobbying and the phenomenon of regulatory capture have contributed to its dominant position in the cybersecurity market, raising concerns over accountability and calls for stricter industry regulations.

Last July, CrowdStrike deployed a faulty kernel-level update that triggered the Blue Screen of Death on millions of Windows devices, impacting critical services across sectors such as banking, airlines, and media. IT administrators were forced to physically intervene to restore systems, prompting concerns over the company’s quality control and operational responsibility.

CrowdStrike released a comprehensive Modern Slavery Statement detailing its zero-tolerance policy on modern slavery, human trafficking, and forced labor. The statement outlines the company's supply chain risk assessment, due diligence measures, and commitment to ethical labor practices across its operations and business partners.

An OpenSecrets profile indicates that CrowdStrike spent $800,000 on lobbying during the 2024 cycle and that 11 out of 14 of its lobbyists in 2023 and 2024 had previously held government positions, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest and undue corporate influence over public policy.

CrowdStrike spent $160,000 on federal lobbying during 2023, according to OpenSecrets data. The financial outlay reflects corporate political engagement that could influence policy outcomes and raises concerns about the potential for corporate interference in democratic processes.