[ad_1]
The New York Attorney General's Office has assigned more than a dozen advocacy groups, lobbying companies and consultants as part of an investigation into false comments filed with the Federal Communications Commission on its proposal to reduce its regulation of the Internet.
The purpose of civil summons is to determine who was behind millions of comments sent using the names of real people who did not allow them, according to someone familiar with the investigation. The Attorney General of New York State, Barbara Underwood, said in a statement that her office had found up to 9.5 million comments that appeared to have been filed using the names and addresses of people real people who absolutely did not know that they were quoted in the comments.
A survey by the Wall Street Journal last year revealed that thousands of people had said their names had been used without their permission to post comments on the FCC rules.
The Attorney General's investigation, which lasted a full year, is aimed at false comments made on both sides of the issue. Broadband for America, among the entities cited to appear, is a group supported by
AT & T
Inc.
and other Internet service providers who have called for the repeal of Internet rules of the Obama era, known as internet neutrality, as well as consumer groups favorable to the Internet. Obama rules, such as Fight for the Future and Free Press.
Broadband America, AT & T and Fight for the Future did not respond to requests for comment. Spokesperson for the free press, Tim Karr, said: "We are responding to their requests and welcome this investigation."
Several consulting firms hired by industry and consumer groups have also received subpoenas, according to the person familiar with the investigation and the executives of some of the companies. These companies were contractors and subcontractors involved in the massive lobbying efforts that generated more than 20 million comments on the FCC's decision to reduce regulation on the Internet.
The New York Inquiry is one of the first official investigations of lobbying companies that promise special interests, offering thousands, if not millions, of people to support their government-reviewed cases. The area is sometimes called "AstroTurf Lobby" to generate basic artificial support.
A subpoena was awarded to Century Strategies, a public relations company used by Broadband for America. Century, whose executive director is Ralph Reed, former head of the Christian Coalition, boasts on his website that his "leaders are among the nation's most effective local organizers" and are using sophisticated digital tools to support his "game." on the ground".
"Our work has been done in accordance with the highest standards of integrity and we stick to that," said Reed following a request for comments about the company's business. New York inquiry.
Media Bridge LLC, a small company in Mineral, Va., Has also been subpoenaed. The managing director of Media Bridge, Shane Cory, said he was looking for relevant material to respond to the subpoena.
Media Bridge used online advertising to collect the names of people who supported FCC President Ajit Pai's plans to repeal the Obama era. Mr Cory, former executive director of the underground clandestine investigation group Project Veritas, said his work had resulted in what he believed to be legitimate comments, but that the "bad actors" who were submitting fake had created difficulties for his company.
He stated that part of the blame lies with government agencies that impose no limit on how comments are posted, not requiring any identity checks or commonly tools used to harm the robots. Mr. Pai acknowledged the problem and recently told Congress that the FCC was considering improving its comment system to avoid falsehoods.
"Unfortunately, without limit, it's the Wild West," said Cory. "The corruption of the public process will occur, especially when billion dollar issues are at stake."
Media Bridge has worked with LCX Digital, a California online advertising company that has also obtained a subpoena, according to the person familiar with the investigation. The LCX did not answer a call for comments.
The Attorney General also summoned the Center for Individual Freedom, an Alexandria, Virginia-based group, who supported the repeal of the rules by Mr. Pai and wrote one of the most quoted comments on the FCC website: a complaint about "unprecedented regulation". can the Obama administration. "
The Journal's survey affected 1,994 FCC-registered individuals who filed this comment; 72% of them said the comment was wrongly submitted.
The center did not respond to a request for comment.
Source link
