Net Neutrality Comments: 80% Were Fake, Investigation Reveals

Investigation Reveals Widespread Fraud in Net Neutrality Comments

An investigation conducted by the New York Attorney General’s office has uncovered that approximately 18 million of the 22 million comments submitted to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) concerning the 2017 repeal of net neutrality were fabricated.

Funding and Sources of the Fake Comments

The investigation revealed that the broadband industry financed the creation of roughly 8.5 million of these fraudulent comments. Furthermore, a single 19-year-old college student was responsible for submitting an additional 7.7 million, with the remaining comments originating from unidentified and questionable sources.

Details of the Report

The comprehensive report, released today, is the culmination of several years of investigation. A dedicated tip line was established to allow individuals to report suspicious comments, and numerous reports were received as people discovered obviously fake submissions, including those attributed to deceased individuals.

Broadband for America's Involvement

A significant portion of the fraudulent comments were funded by Broadband for America, a consortium of broadband companies, which allocated approximately $4.2 million for this purpose.

Lead Generation Companies and Deceptive Practices

These companies engaged several “lead generator” firms – entities known for offering free trials for products like “male enhancement pills” in exchange for personal information – to solicit anti-net neutrality comments.

These lead-generation companies employed dishonest tactics, fabricating lists and comments using outdated data and, in some instances, stolen identities obtained from data breaches.

Limited Accountability for Broadband Companies

Despite their financial involvement, the broadband companies avoided direct legal repercussions by maintaining a degree of separation from the fraudulent activities of the contracted lead generators. However, evidence suggests they were aware of the deceptive nature of the collected information.

Widespread Impact on Government Advocacy

These fraudulent schemes extended beyond the net neutrality debate, impacting over a hundred other advocacy campaigns. This included the submission of over a million fake comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and millions of other deceptive letters and digital submissions.

Penalties and Reforms

Fluent Inc., React2Media, and Opt-Intelligence were fined $3.7 million, $550,000, and $150,000, respectively, for their roles in the scheme. Additionally, “comprehensive reforms” were imposed on these companies, though their effectiveness remains uncertain.

Advocacy Group Response

Fight for the Future, an internet rights advocacy organization, expressed strong criticism, stating they had previously identified and reported these issues to government officials and the public.

Individual Contribution to the Fraud

The college student from California generated 7.7 million fake comments by combining a fake name generator with a disposable email service to create plausible identities. The FCC’s systems failed to detect this automated submission process.

Another individual utilized similar methods to submit an additional 1.6 million fabricated comments.

FCC Chairwoman's Statement

Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel stated that the report clearly demonstrates the extent of fraud that contaminated the record used to justify the FCC’s net neutrality repeal. She emphasized the need for improved processes to ensure a fair and open opportunity for public input on policies.

Past Concerns Dismissed

Rosenworcel had previously advocated for delaying the vote due to concerns about the integrity of the comment process, but then-Chairman Ajit Pai dismissed these concerns, a decision that has since drawn criticism.

Conclusion

The situation highlights a troubling outcome, with the broadband companies and their lobbyists largely avoiding accountability. While the NY AG report includes recommendations, the report suggests that those responsible for the fraud ultimately prevailed.