Apparently, it’s not enough to “Like” a political campaign anymore; now Facebook wants to ensure that its voice is heard in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. The social media giant confirmed yesterday that it had filed paperwork to start its own Political Action Committee (PAC), following rumors spinning out of the registration of domain names FBPAC.org and FBPAC.us.
According to a company spokesperson, “FB PAC will give our employees a way to make their voice heard in the political process by supporting candidates who share our goals of promoting the value of innovation to our economy while giving people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.”
This isn’t Facebook’s first foray into political activism—the company’s lobbying spend for the fiscal year has totalled $550,000, up from $350,000 in 2010 and $200,000 in 2009—but, unlike previous experiences, the PAC will be the first time the company will back specific candidates.
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Graeme McMillan is a reporter at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @Graemem or on Facebook at Facebook/Graeme.McMillan. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.