<p>Google, Facebook, Amazon and 11 other technology heavyweights have announced that they have formed a lobby group, and vowed to strengthen and protect a free and innovative internet.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The group called "The Internet Association" is the first trade association representing the interests of the internet economy in the US, Xinhua reported.<br /><br />The association now has 14 members -- Amazon.com, AOL, eBay, Expedia, Facebook, Google, IAC, LinkedIn, Monster, Rackspace, Salesforce.com, TripAdvisor, Yahoo and Zynga.<br />The group said it represents "the unified voice of the internet economy".<br /><br />However, two names, Apple and Microsoft, were absent from the list, Xinhua said.<br /><br />"A free and innovative internet is vital to our nation's economic growth," Michael Beckerman, president and CEO of The Internet Association, was quoted as saying.<br /><br />He said the companies "understand the future of the internet is at stake" and they "must work together to protect it".<br /><br />Beckerman recently stepped down as a top aide to US House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Fred Upton. The group is based in Washington.<br /><br />The report said a few technology giants have been more "politically savvy" in recent years as US lawmakers are putting more attention to issues like online privacy and competition.<br /><br />Google spent a record $5.03 million on lobbying during the first quarter this year, a big increase from the $1.48 million in the same period last year.<br /><br />Facebook also broke its lobbying record in the second quarter of 2012, during which the company went public. It spent $960,000 in wooing politicians, tripling the money it spent in the same period of 2011.</p>
<p>Google, Facebook, Amazon and 11 other technology heavyweights have announced that they have formed a lobby group, and vowed to strengthen and protect a free and innovative internet.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The group called "The Internet Association" is the first trade association representing the interests of the internet economy in the US, Xinhua reported.<br /><br />The association now has 14 members -- Amazon.com, AOL, eBay, Expedia, Facebook, Google, IAC, LinkedIn, Monster, Rackspace, Salesforce.com, TripAdvisor, Yahoo and Zynga.<br />The group said it represents "the unified voice of the internet economy".<br /><br />However, two names, Apple and Microsoft, were absent from the list, Xinhua said.<br /><br />"A free and innovative internet is vital to our nation's economic growth," Michael Beckerman, president and CEO of The Internet Association, was quoted as saying.<br /><br />He said the companies "understand the future of the internet is at stake" and they "must work together to protect it".<br /><br />Beckerman recently stepped down as a top aide to US House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Fred Upton. The group is based in Washington.<br /><br />The report said a few technology giants have been more "politically savvy" in recent years as US lawmakers are putting more attention to issues like online privacy and competition.<br /><br />Google spent a record $5.03 million on lobbying during the first quarter this year, a big increase from the $1.48 million in the same period last year.<br /><br />Facebook also broke its lobbying record in the second quarter of 2012, during which the company went public. It spent $960,000 in wooing politicians, tripling the money it spent in the same period of 2011.</p>