After opening its doors last year, Google's Washington DC office is beefing up its policy issues staff, reports The Hill.
As net neutrality, online privacy and consumer issues gain the attention of Washington lawmakers, Google is looking to add an academic relations manager to work as a liaison to universities as well as a new privacy policy counsel to advocate Google's position to members of Congress and agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission.
In the meantime, it's brought in a slew of new Washington insiders including a former senior Republican aide to the House Financial Services Committee, the former senior staffer to Sen. Byron Dorgan and former vice president of communications for the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.
The tech giant, which is also represented by the Podesta Group, has spent $2.9 million lobbying Congress so far this year, according to lobbying disclosure reports.
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that Google has focused its lobbying efforts on somewhat-predictable issues such as online advertising, expanded Internet access and cloud-computing technologies. The company has also become a strong proponent of green and renewable energy policies and updates to the electric grid.
"There is a growing number of issues being debated in Washington affecting the Internet and our users and we feel it is important to be involved in those debates," said Adam Kovacevich, a Google spokesman.