Pressure mounts on FCC to cough up answers over fake net neutrality comments US lawmakers have weighed in on the FCC's controversial vote to scrap America's net neutrality rules, demanding information on the millions of fake comments submitted to the watchdog's public consultation on the decision – and asking pointed questions about how the federal regulator handled them. "We write to request …
The article didn't say the democrats would fix everything, merely that they'd want to fix the system to be resilient against fake comments.
Not really sure how you do that though, the only really proper fix would be to issue everyone in the US a private key (cue the "mark of the beast" moaning from fundamentalists) they'd have to use to sign their comments (and somehow keep secure)
Probably the only realistic option would be to use their phones. Google and Apple could cooperate on a secure way for apps to attest to the phone owner's identity via the phone number / SIM / carrier billing info. Then the FCC could create a submission app where if I submitted a comment they would know it came from me and not paid corporate astroturfers. And also know I had taken some minimal initiative to make the comment instead of going to a web site, giving it my email address, and letting it comment for me.
Of course the democrats won't do that, they'll just order the FCC to address the issue, and who knows what sort of braindead half measures we'll end up with that only cause the astroturfers to change techniques, not block them.
My name and work address, invalid since 2000, were used to support the action.
I found this out courtesy of the New York Attorney General who provided an online repository to check.
Here's what I noticed, the comment attributed to me was word for word identical with thousands of other comments. This suggests an approach which should filter out spoofs and astroturfs: ignore the duplicated comments. I can't say this will fix everything, but it is a start.
"We have no doubt that when the Democrats are back in charge of the FCC, one of the first things they will do is insist a complete overhaul of the comment process to ensure that it is fit for *their* purpose."
FTFY. Because that's what happens in a hopelessly partisan environment, sadly.
Yep, *all* sides are sellouts - and always point to the sellouts on whatever other side, but ignore their own. Divide and conquer, identity politics, it's all making me ill. How about working on genuine problems rather than "viewing with alarm" some made-up problem the only solution to which is giving them even more power to make a mess?
"The best law money can buy" isn't working out that well for the plebes and the partisan noise is a distraction hoping we won't notice it or blame it on the other guys. Sooner or later anyone adult should realize that just because one guy is wrong - it doesn't make the other one right.
Oh, look - a squirrel!
No, I doubt they will change because then it will be fit for purpose. But do expect that within a few weeks,, all of the latest round FCC regulation fixes will be undone before they tackle anything else. Such is the way things seem to work these days. The concept of discuss, compromise, and "do the right things" is long gone in America. Giving in to corporate greed is the paradigm.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a Democrat, said in a statement he will lead a multi-state lawsuit to challenge the reversal.
- Immediately after the vote, Senator Edward Markey, a Democrat, said he and 15 other senators planned to introduce a resolution to undo the FCC action and restore the net neutrality rules.
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