A man holds up a sign supporting internet rights at a rally in San Francisco, California. (Photo: Credo Action/Flickr/cc)
FCC Under Fire for Ignoring 'Massive Scheme to Corrupt' Net Neutrality Comment Process
Amid widespread outrage over the agency's proposed internet rule changes, NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's says chairman has refused to cooperate with probe into fake posts
In an open letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman slammed the agency for ignoring "a massive scheme to corrupt" the mandatory public comment process for Pai's plan to dismantle net neutrality protections with new rules officially unveiled on Tuesday.
"The FCC has refused multiple requests for crucial evidence in its sole possession that is vital to permit that law enforcement investigation to proceed."
--Eric Schneiderman, New York Attorney General
While open internet advocates have for months campaigned against Pai's plan to turn over the web to corporate control, which often included form letters for the public comment process, Schneiderman launched an investigation after submissions started appearing from supposed supporters of the plan with personal information of people who said they had not submitted any comments.
"For six months my office has been investigating who perpetrated a massive scheme to corrupt the FCC's notice and comment process through the misuse of enormous numbers of real New Yorkers' and other Americans' identities," Schneiderman writes on Medium. "Such conduct likely violates state law -- yet the FCC has refused multiple requests for crucial evidence in its sole possession that is vital to permit that law enforcement investigation to proceed."
Schneiderman continues:
My office analyzed the fake comments and found that tens of thousands of New Yorkers may have had their identities misused in this way. (Indeed, analysis showed that, in all, hundreds of thousands of Americans likely were victimized in the same way, including tens of thousands per state in California, Georgia, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and possibly others.)....
This investigation isn't about the substantive issues concerning net neutrality. For my part, I have long publicly advocated for strong net neutrality rules under the Title II of the Communications Act, and studies show that the overwhelming majority of Americans who took the time to write public comments to the FCC about the issue feel the same way while a very small minority favor repeal.
But this isn't about that. It's about the right to control one's own identity and prevent the corruption of a process designed to solicit the opinion of real people and institutions. Misuse of identity online by the hundreds of thousands should concern everyone -- for and against net neutrality, New Yorker or Texan, Democrat or Republican.
Urging the FCC to reconsider its decision to refuse to assist with his investigation, Schneiderman concludes, "If law enforcement can't investigate and (where appropriate) prosecute when it happens on this scale, the door is open for it to happen again and again."
While defenders of the internet are mobilizing to stop the FCC changes from going through, the vote is now scheduled for December 14.
On Wednesday, a fresh wave of calls for reconsidering the plan (pdf) had activists and rights groups urging Americans to contact their congressional representatives, while lawmakers reiterated their support for protecting net neutrality:
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
In an open letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman slammed the agency for ignoring "a massive scheme to corrupt" the mandatory public comment process for Pai's plan to dismantle net neutrality protections with new rules officially unveiled on Tuesday.
"The FCC has refused multiple requests for crucial evidence in its sole possession that is vital to permit that law enforcement investigation to proceed."
--Eric Schneiderman, New York Attorney General
While open internet advocates have for months campaigned against Pai's plan to turn over the web to corporate control, which often included form letters for the public comment process, Schneiderman launched an investigation after submissions started appearing from supposed supporters of the plan with personal information of people who said they had not submitted any comments.
"For six months my office has been investigating who perpetrated a massive scheme to corrupt the FCC's notice and comment process through the misuse of enormous numbers of real New Yorkers' and other Americans' identities," Schneiderman writes on Medium. "Such conduct likely violates state law -- yet the FCC has refused multiple requests for crucial evidence in its sole possession that is vital to permit that law enforcement investigation to proceed."
Schneiderman continues:
My office analyzed the fake comments and found that tens of thousands of New Yorkers may have had their identities misused in this way. (Indeed, analysis showed that, in all, hundreds of thousands of Americans likely were victimized in the same way, including tens of thousands per state in California, Georgia, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and possibly others.)....
This investigation isn't about the substantive issues concerning net neutrality. For my part, I have long publicly advocated for strong net neutrality rules under the Title II of the Communications Act, and studies show that the overwhelming majority of Americans who took the time to write public comments to the FCC about the issue feel the same way while a very small minority favor repeal.
But this isn't about that. It's about the right to control one's own identity and prevent the corruption of a process designed to solicit the opinion of real people and institutions. Misuse of identity online by the hundreds of thousands should concern everyone -- for and against net neutrality, New Yorker or Texan, Democrat or Republican.
Urging the FCC to reconsider its decision to refuse to assist with his investigation, Schneiderman concludes, "If law enforcement can't investigate and (where appropriate) prosecute when it happens on this scale, the door is open for it to happen again and again."
While defenders of the internet are mobilizing to stop the FCC changes from going through, the vote is now scheduled for December 14.
On Wednesday, a fresh wave of calls for reconsidering the plan (pdf) had activists and rights groups urging Americans to contact their congressional representatives, while lawmakers reiterated their support for protecting net neutrality:
In an open letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman slammed the agency for ignoring "a massive scheme to corrupt" the mandatory public comment process for Pai's plan to dismantle net neutrality protections with new rules officially unveiled on Tuesday.
"The FCC has refused multiple requests for crucial evidence in its sole possession that is vital to permit that law enforcement investigation to proceed."
--Eric Schneiderman, New York Attorney General
While open internet advocates have for months campaigned against Pai's plan to turn over the web to corporate control, which often included form letters for the public comment process, Schneiderman launched an investigation after submissions started appearing from supposed supporters of the plan with personal information of people who said they had not submitted any comments.
"For six months my office has been investigating who perpetrated a massive scheme to corrupt the FCC's notice and comment process through the misuse of enormous numbers of real New Yorkers' and other Americans' identities," Schneiderman writes on Medium. "Such conduct likely violates state law -- yet the FCC has refused multiple requests for crucial evidence in its sole possession that is vital to permit that law enforcement investigation to proceed."
Schneiderman continues:
My office analyzed the fake comments and found that tens of thousands of New Yorkers may have had their identities misused in this way. (Indeed, analysis showed that, in all, hundreds of thousands of Americans likely were victimized in the same way, including tens of thousands per state in California, Georgia, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and possibly others.)....
This investigation isn't about the substantive issues concerning net neutrality. For my part, I have long publicly advocated for strong net neutrality rules under the Title II of the Communications Act, and studies show that the overwhelming majority of Americans who took the time to write public comments to the FCC about the issue feel the same way while a very small minority favor repeal.
But this isn't about that. It's about the right to control one's own identity and prevent the corruption of a process designed to solicit the opinion of real people and institutions. Misuse of identity online by the hundreds of thousands should concern everyone -- for and against net neutrality, New Yorker or Texan, Democrat or Republican.
Urging the FCC to reconsider its decision to refuse to assist with his investigation, Schneiderman concludes, "If law enforcement can't investigate and (where appropriate) prosecute when it happens on this scale, the door is open for it to happen again and again."
While defenders of the internet are mobilizing to stop the FCC changes from going through, the vote is now scheduled for December 14.
On Wednesday, a fresh wave of calls for reconsidering the plan (pdf) had activists and rights groups urging Americans to contact their congressional representatives, while lawmakers reiterated their support for protecting net neutrality: