Twitter Joins Washington Lobbyists With Its Own PAC

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By Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai2013-08-09 15:13:14 -0700

Twitter is joining the lobbying world to influence policy makers on Capitol Hill. The microblogging network announced on Friday the formation of a political action committee (PAC) and the appointment of its first lobbyist.

The company's PAC will be named Twitter#PAC and will try to push an agenda focused on free speech online, Internet freedom, government surveillance, and copyright law, as first reported by The Washington Post .

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"We expect to continue to play an active role in speaking up on issues related to internet freedom, government access to user data, patent reform and freedom of expression," said Twitter spokesperson Jim Prosser in a statement to Mashable. Prosser declined to comment any further.

William Carty, a former aide for Republican members of the Senate and House commerce committees, will become Twitter's first registered lobbyist. Carty was the company's policy manager until now, working in Twitter's Washington, D.C., office. Nu Wexler, former spokesman for Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Ct.), will be the company's D.C. spokesman.

Twitter has a history of fighting for Internet freedom and opposing the U.S. government in surveillance cases. In the past, it has challenged a subpoena requesting records of Occupy activists, as well as another asking for records of WikiLeaks supporters and associates, and the company has been involved in freedom of speech cases around the world.

Image: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Topics: political action committee, Politics, Twitter, U.S., US & World