Leeches don't create public fora with the food stamps. The FAANGs did, on purpose.

Laundering doesn't wash away the taint of restrictions on government power, or money. Publicly funded fora are held to standards chicken Mcnuggets aren't.

Also, the FAANGs receive funding continuously from their market, in the form of data whcih they sell. It doesn't matter what form the continuing payment takes, it's recurring payment for the service.