Some of the U.S.’s leading internet companies announced today that they have combined forces to found a trade association to represent the interests of the internet economy. Named The Internet Association, the organization will lobby in Washington D.C. for internet freedom, innovation, and growth.

The member companies of the organization are a who’s who of internet success stories: Google, Amazon, eBay, Facebook, AOL, Expedia, Linkedin, IAC, Linkedin, Monster Worldwide, Rackspace, Salesforce, TripAdvisor, Yahoo, and Zynga are all founding members of The Internet Association. Conspicuously missing are two giant companies from the old guard of computing, Apple and Microsoft.

“A free and innovative Internet is vital to our nation’s economic growth,” said Michael Beckerman, CEO of The Internet Association. “These companies are all fierce competitors in the market place, but they recognize the Internet needs a unified voice in Washington. They understand the future of the Internet is at stake and that we must work together to protect it.”

The Internet Association has outlined a policy platform that emphasizes protecting internet freedom, fostering innovation and economic growth, and empowering users. The organization will directly engage with policymakers, educating them about the growth, freedom, creativity, and productivity that is brought by an open internet.

“The Internet is the fastest growing sector of the U.S. economy with an unparalleled record of job creation and innovation across all sectors,” said Beckerman. “It is the Internet’s decentralized and open model that has unleashed unprecedented entrepreneurialism, creativity and innovation. Policymakers must understand that the preservation of that freedom is essential to the vitality of the Internet itself and the resulting economic prosperity.”