back to article FCC backtracks on helping with neutrality fraud investigation

After supposedly reversing course to assist New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's investigation into fake comments submitted during the net neutrality comment process, the Federal Communications Commission has doubled back on itself. In a letter, obtained by Politico, sent to Schneiderman on Thursday, FCC general …

  1. TimeMaster T
    Flame

    Anyone else?

    Does anyone else think this sounds like the FCC is just stalling till after next weeks vote to kill net neutrality?

    1. Mark 85
      Holmes

      Re: Anyone else?

      See Icon.....

    2. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Facepalm

      Re: Anyone else?

      Are you appealing to the howler monkeys to play "me too" and "sling poo" (at anyone who disagrees) ?

      "just stalling" - that's what DEMO-RATS do, using the court system and "temporary injunctions". I recall the Supreme Court overturning one of those, recently... was it related to the TRAVEL BAN? I think SO!

      And from the article: "But it doesn't appear Pai or the two other Republican Commissioners intend to listen"

      Oh, I'm sure they listen. They heard EVERYTHING being said. And DISAGREED WITH IT. And so do I.

      "Not Agreeing" is not the same thing as "not listening", except to people who FEEL instead of think...

      because, after all, there are VERY GOOD REASONS to DISAGREE with so-called "net neutrality". The most fundamental one: SOCIALISM is JUST EVIL! And net neutrality is like SOCIALISM - all equally MEDIOCRE, because NOBODY gets to be BETTER any more!

      one day some guy [not a woman, a guy] decided he would "help" me by "counseling" me for something stupid, like NOT agreeing and "going along" with feelies and lefties, NOT pursuing excellence [because it intimidates people], yotta yotta. Well, aside from him being VERY arrogant for even DARING to 'take me aside' and JUDGE me like that, I was inexperienced enough at the time to tolerate his mini-speech. After that he said "you're not listening" and I repeated back (in summary) every point he had made for the last 20 minutes or so, and then said "and I disagree with you". Intimidated [which was the intent], he shut the hell up and stopped it, and never tried again.

      [summary, to counter the "you are not listening" ploy, just repeat back what was said and DISAGREE with it, without reservation. *NUKE* *SLAM-DUNK* *BEAT-DOWN* *SCORE* - argument OVER]

      Being an ALPHA MALE is a GOOD thing, after all. And being INTOLERANT to BABBLY TOUCHY FEELY socialistic CRAP is ALSO a good thing. "Not listening". PHEH! *SPIT*! What a pantload of CRAP *THAT* is!

      icon, because, facepalm the lameness

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Anyone else? BB? BB?

        At what point has a commentard become certifiable and a hindrance? There's no content in the above that is not mere bile. Sorry BB, the topic of this article is not what you define it to be, what you *always* define it to be - thee against we.

        1. Version 1.0 Silver badge

          Re: Anyone else? BB? BB?

          Bob is just one of "A bunch of mindless jerks who'll be the first against the wall when the revolution comes."

        2. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

          Re: Anyone else? BB? BB?

          There's no content in the above that is not mere bile

          I'm just worried that the AIs have become sentient and instead of trying to wipe us out they have decided to troll instead.

      2. DerekCurrie
        Holmes

        Re: Anyone else?

        I call them DemoCraps.

        As for that other worthless political party, I call them the RetardLicans. Here we have an excellent example of why. If you think the current government is looking out for We The People, you're another example.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Anyone else?

          > " If you think the current government is looking out for We The People, you're another example."

          No, that's the previous government. That's the reason Trump was elected, not to "look out" for us but to dismantle the burgeoning nanny state before it gets too big to stop. That appears to be exactly what he's doing (trying to anyway).

          But then those who call themselves liberals stop being so liberal and instead side with the deep statists (who would have us all in chains eventually) and against President Trump, for what appears to be totally partisan reasons. THEY are the true "example" here.

      3. Jamie Jones Silver badge

        Re: Anyone else?

        haha bob, i didn't think your parodies could get any more extreme!

        stalling tactics? during obamas time,republicans had the fillibuster down to a fine art.

        Tell me, if socialism is evil, how can you justify using opensource software? The model behind BSD, linux etc. is so far beyond socialism, if's virtually commie!

        and as you think being social is evil, I unsociably suggest you go back to fox where you can hero worship those unamerican bastards who are trying to discredit mueller... you know, the republican appointed by bush.

        1. Terry 6 Silver badge

          Re: Anyone else?

          As a pretty neutral observer of the American scene, this obsession with perceived Socialism is one of the most fascinating aspects. That the sharing of a basic level of resources so that everyone gets medical help and enough to eat is seen as so Evil. We see it in the UK, and indeed everywhere else in the world to some extent, of course. But only in the USA (out of the democratic countries) is there such a powerful voice against it. And alongside that there is the slinging of names. It's "Communism" or "Socialism"( though I doubt that any of the people who use the words actually have ever read anything about either). Even "Liberal" values, a term so confused that it means just about nothing ( freedom from versus freedom too, for example) are seen as the "Red Peril". Fascinating.

          And the strongest upholders of these views seem to be the ones who'd benefit most from a fairer, more equal society ( "Blue collar"). Which again we do see outside the USA, with left wing/liberal views often being associated with well-off educated "Champagne Socialists". But not to the extreme that the USA produces.

      4. Augie
        Mushroom

        Re: Anyone else?

        Hmmm maybe a little less caffeine or other stimulants needed there...

  2. Richard Jones 1

    Did the Fraud Committers Committee (FCC) find that the IP addresses all track back to a certain Ajit Pai's or facilities linked to him.

    The Fraud Committers Committee (FCC) are certainly working hard to protect the guilty in their false statements .

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    hahaha, it's the only way Trump and his swamp of cronies can win anything. Proof of their malfeasance could lead to their removal which would greatly diminish their ability to strip the ever diminishing middle/working class Americans of what is left of their collective wealth. Individually, they already have very little left, but collectively there's still money there. Post WW2 was very good to the US of A and Canadian middle/working class well into the 1970s. The wealthy really got the GOP/Dixiecrat ball rolling by the late 70s and it has been downhill since then.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Pai was a republican member of the commission before Trump elevated him, if a real republican had won the presidency instead it is likely we would still have Pai as commissioner, and he'd still be pushing full speed ahead to do away with this regulation.

      There are plenty of things you can blame on Trump and his special brand of swamp creatures he placed into positions of power, but this isn't one of them.

    2. joemostowey

      Obstruction of Justice.

      Pai, Indeed All of the GOP since before Nixon seem to feel the law of the land is a suggestion to be ignore when it is inconvenient. They talk morals and display none. They espouse law and order and evade the law whenever possible. They do seem keen on order, like most despotic regimes. The GOP espouses, nay demands family values and the loudest, most fervent speakers are often found to be the ones cheating on their spouses or avoiding punishment for sexual peccadilloes.

      They demand Christian Values and are often found to be violating those values.

      They display faux outrage over everyone else having a splinter in their eye while ignoring the beam protruding from their own. Nixon Had Watergate, Reagan had the Iran-Contra, Bush had the Iraq war lies and Trump is enmeshed in Russia as well as multiple other seamy, sleazy low life violations of decency.

      Why should Pai, and the GOP members of the FCC be concerned with trivial things like the law?

      Reagan was the Great communicator, in reality a master of propaganda that would make Paul Joseph Goebbels swoon with envy. His example taught the Republicans how to lie with a straight face, how to make wrong appear to be right, day to be night and war to be peace, a lesson incorporated into everything the GOP stands for.

      Pai is simply doing his master's bidding, and should it come to pass that he is arrested and charged with criminal activities, such as impeding and official legal investigation, he knows, that like Ollie North, he will walk free, and more wealthy than he is now.

      Funny, isn't it how many GOP idols are tainted with the stench of crimes committed, unpunished and venerated not for great deeds, but for beating the system?

      The party of accountability, fiscal responsibility and limited government seems more dedicated to the opposite of these ideals.

      A wise man by the name of Matthew once said,"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them."

      Are we looking at good men, or have their actions, as opposed to their words, exposed them for the foul leavings of a bankrupt morality?

    3. The Man Who Fell To Earth Silver badge
      Black Helicopters

      TRUMP

      Well, there is a reason that TRUMP is also the acronym for

      "The Russians Ultimate Master Plan".

  4. Mystic Megabyte
    Stop

    History

    It's not often that you get to witness history in the making but the *USA just became history. Trump was rejected by the rich for being a crass obnoxious buffoon and now he wants to make them grovel. He may have a billion dollars but Putin has 200 billion and Trump wants more. Even if Trump drops dead tomorrow the damage has been done, see how many cronies are now in key jobs and how the far right has been empowered. "Divide and rule", it always works.

    Now the maniac wants his own secret service, the Stasi is reborn.

    I'm hoping that Trump gets struck by lightning while playing golf, that would be Karma. I should not be having thoughts like this, I'm not a politically motivated person, but this sad excuse of a man is just too awful; the epitome of greed.

    Video is SFW but soon to be throttled and only available on a premier plan.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hOky9LFO6o

    * The USA that did a lot of good things.

    1. Hollerithevo

      Re: History

      Some of us looked forward to a Trump victory. We thought that if the USA was idiotic enough to elect him, then that would be the signal that America was about to fall off its perch as Top Nation and we could finally be back to the good old balance of power, which would bring in a lot more players. One over-mighty country is not good. It did not work (Germany from, say, 1860-1945) or France (say, 1680-1815) and that's just Europe. Having said that, I am sorry that many less-well-off Americans are going to be suffering as their ship goes down. But a country that would cut mealthcare to poor children really doesn't deserve its own self-regard as exceptional.

      1. Version 1.0 Silver badge

        Re: History

        The US is exceptional ... just not in a good way now. Trump was the iceberg and the Republican party is the ship of state ... we're hearing a grinding noise down low these days and I have the feeling that it's going to be a lot worse for a long time before there is any chance of improvement.

        Meanwhile Britain has Brexit ... you're just lucky that it was just a practice run to test out the methods for the American election.

        1. Terry 6 Silver badge

          Re: History

          There is certainly a common thread between the Trump and Brexit phenomena. Both seem to be powered by a kind of Golden Age mythology that we can reverse the events of the late 20th Century to a time when we (respectively) ruled the waves. The poor knew their place and no non-English voices were ever heard. And our out-dated, under-invested industries will be profitable, selling to a willing world. We can make Britain/The USA great again.*

          Interestingly the people who voted most enthusiastically for this were the poorer white Anglophone groups. Almost like they were supporting a football team rather than looking at the consequences for themselves.

          *Delete where appicable

      2. rtb61

        USA Not Exceptional?

        How about;

        exceptionally greedy,

        exceptionally violent,

        exceptionally deceitful,

        exceptionally arrogant,

        exceptional poseurs,

        and of course exceptional thieves.

        That is of course the government, the majority of Americans are not that bad, they have just totally lost control of their government.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    You have to admire a politician who stays bought... so determined to say FU to the public.

    My bet is Pai will be the next CEO of Verizon...

    1. Captain DaFt

      My bet is Pai will be the next CEO of Verizon...

      My money's on Comcast.

  6. Paul Herber Silver badge
    Trollface

    Щhy doэs anyoиe thiиk thэrэ is inflцeиcэ from oцtside ЦSA in its iиtэrиal mattэrs. It is very циlikэly Яцssioиs woцld care a jot. Фиly a fool woцld thiиk this!

    1. John H Woods Silver badge

      I am so...

      ... stealing this

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The Government, for the Government, by the Government

    This is how the U.S. Government represents the people.

    The law was broken. Fraud, obstruction of justice, simply failing to report a computer crime. Equifax waited a month to report a crime and the Government moved in. the FCC still hasn't reported it and is blocking the investigation of a crime. What company would be allowed to do this and not face repercussions?

    The Government, for the Government, by the Government servers only the Government.

  8. DerekCurrie
    FAIL

    Pie Pai

    This is blatant, outright, criminal citizen abuse. The FCC is now a criminal organization.

    Isn't that great. Here's the "swamp". Over here! The FCC! Such are the lies told by my now ruined US government.

  9. lglethal Silver badge
    Joke

    You missed an obvious headline...

    "Federal Communication Commision fails to communicate"

    Or perhaps "FCC - Fails (to) Communicate Completely"

    Ahh the irony of a communiation commision not being able to communicate properly.. Ahh but we all know it gets away from it in America since most Americans think Irony is like Coppery only made from Iron...

    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      I barely got through the rest of the article after I read "revealing the IP addresses of commenters raised privacy concerns"

      A US government agent invoking citizens privacy rights? LOL They have some of the poorest privacy protections in the so-called free world!

  10. unwarranted triumphalism

    What about the fake comments left by pro-neutrality campaigners?

    1. lglethal Silver badge
      Go

      If you believe there are fake comments left by pro-neutrality campaigners then you should be pushing for the FCC to be giving the access to the comments to the New York Attorney General. Fake comments from either side should be punished.

      The fact of that matter that is the only way for the FCC decision's to be able to be based upon the comment process, is if the comment process can be considered clean and fair. At the moment, with both sides claiming the other filled it with fake comments/stolen ID's, the whole process needs to be investigated. Refusing to allow that investigation to proceed, certainly leads to claims of corruption and dodgy dealings happening in the background....

  11. Wolfclaw

    FCC corruption was ousted and now they are doing a Watergate to protect their ISP masters paid for errand boy Pai.

  12. User McUser
    Boffin

    Easy Fix - Hash Them

    [FCC general counsel Thomas Johnson] suggested revealing the IP addresses of commenters raised privacy concerns and posed a security risk to the FCC's comment system.

    Then apply a hash+salt to the IP addresses before handing the data over. You can then compare the hashed values to see if a significant number of comments came from the same IP address without being able to know which IP address it is.

    It's almost like they're just making up stupid and transparently simple excuses to not provide the information for political reasons!

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