Google, Facebook, Amazon, eBay form new Washington lobbying group

Google, eBay, Amazon and Facebook are launching a lobbying group, The Internet Association, to try to raise their voice in Washington as federal officials focus their sights on their largely unregulated tech industry.

Leading the group will be Michael Beckerman, former deputy staff director of the House Commerce Committee and longtime adviser to Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI). The association is expected to officially launch in September, when it will release its full list of sponsors and members. Its most prominent members are Silicon Valley giants Google, Facebook, eBay and Amazon, according to a person familiar with the group’s plans. Those firms face a slew of regulatory issues that directly affect their businesses: privacy legislation, online sales tax reforms, cybersecurity and proposed anti-piracy and copyright laws.