Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook (Creative Commons)

In another sign that Facebook is trying to fortify its connections in Washington, the social networking giant announced it has formed a Political Action Committee. 

The move by Facebook comes as congress debates issues that could directly affect the company, including patents, privacy and monopoly status. 

In general, sites are deepening their political involvement. Last week, Google co-sponsored a Republican debate, while Facebook and LinkedIn held town hall-style meetings on Monday. 

Facebook’s 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,” spokesman Andrew Noyes said in a e-mailed statement according to the Washington Post.

Facebook is not the only tech Goliath with a PAC. Google's PAC has donated $570,000 to political candidates this year, and Microsoft has donated $722,000, according to the Washington Post.