A consultant working for the US broadband industry's lobbying group "Broadband for America" sent over 1 million comments to the FCC opposing net neutrality.
Many of the names and email addresses in these comments are tied to a single data breach. Here's how Buzzfeed figured out what happened.
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The Federal Communications Commission has scheduled an April 25 vote to restore net neutrality rules similar to the ones introduced during the Obama era and repealed under former President Trump.
"After the prior administration abdicated authority over broadband services, the FCC has been handcuffed from acting to fully secure broadband networks, protect consumer data, and ensure the Internet remains fast, open, and fair," FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said today. "A return to the FCC's overwhelmingly popular and court-approved standard of net neutrality will allow the agency to serve once again as a strong consumer advocate of an open Internet."
[...]
In a filing with the FCC, Turner wrote that "ISPs have been incredibly bullish about the future of their businesses precisely because of the network investments they are making" and that the companies rarely, if ever, mention the impact of FCC regulation during calls with investors."We believe that the ISPs' own words to their shareholders, and to industry analysts through channels governed by the SEC, should be afforded significantly more weight than evidence-free tropes, vague threats, dubious aggregate capital expenditure tallies, or nonsensical math jargon foisted on the Commission this docket or elsewhere," Turner wrote.
(Score: 2) by MrPlow on Tuesday October 08 2019, @11:30PM (1 child)
Bots are people too, you insensitive clod!
(Score: 3, Insightful) by SpockLogic on Wednesday October 09 2019, @04:03AM
It made no difference as repeal of net neutrality was a foregone conclusion.
Ajit the idjit was bought and paid for.
Overreacting is one thing, sticking your head up your ass hoping the problem goes away is another - edIII
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 08 2019, @11:30PM (5 children)
https://yp.scmp.com/tertiary-education/city-university-of-hong-kong/article/109120/how-data-analytics-helped-obama-win [scmp.com]
The same people are doing the same thing over and over. Pitting you against your friends and family. All so they can make a buck. They just rename themselves and poof new grass roots group. They do not care about R or D. They care to make you look a fool and hand over more money.
Net Neutrality was not a law. It was a pretzel of an existing law. Obama and friends should have made it a law if they were that confident about it.
These douchebags are playing us and laughing all the way to the bank.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 08 2019, @11:59PM (1 child)
It's called Astroturfing and it's nothing new. Big business has been doing this forever and everyone is already aware of it.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday October 09 2019, @12:45AM
Yet, "everybody" seem to be surprise that it works each time every time, in spite of "everybody" being aware of it.
Like "Darn, fooled me for a thousands time. D'ya care to try again?"
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @03:52AM (2 children)
The D's had about 12 months when they could pass laws without the approval of the Rs - Scott Brown's election to the Senate in Feb of 2010 ended the D supermajority. They used that time to pass healthcare. After that the Rs obstructed everything. Anyone who claims that the Ds should have passed a law when Rs were unified in blocking everything, even things they had previously advocated for, is at best ignorant and more likely just another lying bad-faith republican shill.
(Score: 5, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @06:08AM (1 child)
Yeah, a right-wing healthcare plan that kept the rapacious, price-gouging insurance companies in place and still allowed tens of thousands to die every year from preventable medical issues. And we still have worthless Democrats who are arguing against single-payer Medicare For All, even though every single other first world country has one form or another of a universal healthcare system, pays less, and has better outcomes for average people. Pathetic. And all because Obama gave up instantly when faced with opposition from some corporatist Democrats, because he was a corporatist himself.
Let's not pretend that the Democratic party isn't plagued by corporate scum, because it is. The problem has to be identified and acknowledged before we can begin to solve it.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday October 09 2019, @02:44PM
Yes, it is. Unfortunately, the dissent in the Democratic party against the corporatism has been channeled down the Identitarian rabbit hole and to genuflect before the Church of Woke. Progressivism (in the sense of the Progressive "Bull Moose" Party platform of 1912, a la Teddy Roosevelt) that produced such reasonable reforms like the 40-hr work week, banning child labor, Social Security, the FDA, and many other things that help the average person, was chucked right out the window.
Consequently an urgently needed correction against concentrated wealth and power to restore democracy has been forestalled.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by fustakrakich on Tuesday October 08 2019, @11:44PM (4 children)
Millions of fake votes are being counted, and millions of real ones "disappear". Who knows if democrats and republicans are really winning with such little opposition?
This FCC thing is just a peek at the reality of massive fraud. The entire system is suspect and untrustworthy.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @01:00AM (3 children)
Evidence, motherfucker. Do you have any? Aside from a few localities that have had minor irregularities (addressed by the courts), there is no evidence to suggest that votes in US elections are being manipulated in the fashion you suggest.
Claims require evidence. Do you have any?
Certainly, there's plenty of evidence for voter suppression [wikipedia.org], but that's not the manipulation of votes you claim is happening.
In lieu of any evidence (as you won't find it, cuz it ain't there), here's a softball for you. Please explain how a public comments system like the FCC's, with a documented, centralized API allowing bulk inserts into the comments database is the same as the dozens of disparate local voting systems with multiple different voting mechanisms and platforms, managed by folks of every political stripe?
What's that? they're different?
But that doesn't matter to you does it? Because *every single human* associated in any way with public life is obviously corrupt or a tool of those who are. And we're all too stupid to recognize it, so a smart guy like you [youtube.com] needs to set us straight, or we're all doomed, right? Please.
(Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @02:59AM (2 children)
Well, you're just a full of shit AC, so go make sweet love to yourself! Your machines have been hacked, and you are an idiot stooge if you believe they haven't. So there! Pffft!
(Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @03:52AM (1 child)
No evidence as usual, Fusty.
What a magical world you must live in. Are there unicorns and faeries too?
(Score: 1, Offtopic) by c0lo on Wednesday October 09 2019, @08:41AM
If you really need to know, yeah, there are.
The boots-wearing ones... and you gotta believe me,
'cause I saw it I saw it with my own two eyes.
'oah right now!
(grin)
(He said, "son, son you've gone too far")
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 08 2019, @11:45PM (3 children)
Fuck China. Fuck ... hey what's this?
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 08 2019, @11:56PM (2 children)
Between the Adobe and Venezuela story, and the Blizzard and Hong Kong story, it's pretty clear the only remaining distinction between the US and China is one of procedure.
(Score: 1, Redundant) by c0lo on Wednesday October 09 2019, @12:50AM
Except there's another**: only America is exceptional! Amurika, fuck yeah! Shoulda be proud of it, boy!
** no, not really. I'm just pointing one of the causes most usians are blind to the lack of substantive distinction between the two
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2, Touché) by khallow on Wednesday October 09 2019, @11:45AM
Which let us note is also the only real difference between say Switzerland and the USSR under Stalin. You can hide a hell of a lot of problems under "procedure".
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Snotnose on Tuesday October 08 2019, @11:56PM (18 children)
What charge? Treason sounds about right.
I'd settle for fraud, or mail fraud. But this shit needs to stop ASAP.
Of course I'm against DEI. Donald, Eric, and Ivanka.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday October 09 2019, @12:02AM (13 children)
Agreed, this shit needs to stop.
But, I have to ask again: Why is all this data accessible to every Tom, Dick, and Sherry on the internet? All your medical data, all your legal data, all your purchasing data, name, age, SSN, education history, on and on it goes. The same internet that brings you porn, carries all of your data to the imaginative hacker/cracker who can figure out how to bypass whatever joke of "security" your hospital/county court house/ business partner/whoever uses.
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @12:04AM (4 children)
Because it only takes one bad cog in a million before your SSN (not intended to be a unique idenitfier) or other records are permanently compromised.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday October 09 2019, @12:10AM (1 child)
Exactly. So - we, society in general, rely on all those bad cogs for EVERYTHING. It makes no sense at all.
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 3, Insightful) by coolgopher on Wednesday October 09 2019, @10:40AM
It makes perfect sense. It's the path of least have-to-give-a-fuck.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by c0lo on Wednesday October 09 2019, @12:56AM
Yeah, here's your scapegoat, shred it to pieces.
Don't you mind the MBAs behind the curtain, their are only trying to do their job: maximize profit by externalizing the cost to the society. Making sense or not [soylentnews.org], it is always that cog and that cog alone that's guilty, I tell yea!
Why do you hate capitalism? (grin)
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @07:19PM
SSN was intended to be a unique identifier.
Just not an authenticator, which is what they use it for.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @12:18AM (1 child)
"Why is all this data accessible"
Because nobody has pressed charges against carriers under wiretapping statutes. Because it probably wouldn't do any good if you did because the federal courts are busily goose stepping the country towards fascism as quickly as possible. And finally because 97% of the country votes for a party that is just one side of a two man con.
Before you even get to the civil rights debate, there is a debate to be had about corporate rights. The corruption exists because of corporate interference. There are cases that could overturn Citizens United. But Federal courts use that "new math" these days. So even if you had a solid case for overturning Citizens United v. FEC, there is some question whether it would get a trial at all.
(Score: 5, Touché) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday October 09 2019, @12:31AM
The United States has the best government money can buy.
(Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @12:37AM
Yeah, those Trump folks [mediaite.com] have some strange ideas.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/10/04/larouche-pac-claims-credit-for-eat-the-babies-prank-that-fooled-ocasio-cortez/ [breitbart.com]
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tasneemnashrulla/eat-babies-aoc-town-hall-pro-trump-troll-larouche [buzzfeednews.com]
https://www.alternet.org/2019/10/trump-supporter-who-ranted-about-eating-babies-at-aoc-event-is-member-of-a-lyndon-larouche-fringe-group/ [alternet.org]
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/ocasio-cortez-claims-the-woman-who-suggested-eating-babies-to-solve-climate-change-was-a-trump-supporter [washingtonexaminer.com]
https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20191004/pro-trump-group-says-it-staged-eat-babies-outburst-at-ocasio-cortez-event [providencejournal.com]
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Wednesday October 09 2019, @01:59AM
Simple: 'cause security is a cost center, and it doesn't look as good on the bottom line if you just put it off. Fuck consequences, only this quarter matters. Thus sayeth the MBA, and if we were smarter than MBAs, why aren't we rich, hmm?
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @03:59PM (3 children)
By the way, you know on your sig that the AOC 'liberal' you refer to was actually a LaRouche plant [washingtonpost.com] and we've known that for about five days now?
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday October 09 2019, @04:07PM (2 children)
Yes, thank you, but I'm enjoying the responses.
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @07:05PM (1 child)
You actually enjoy getting ass whacks for being a tool of some fringe larouche PAC?!? Wow. Well...whatever turns you on. You do you, I guess.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 10 2019, @08:39PM
Another exame of "winning" being preferred to responsible adult behavior. They are busy cheering on the downfall of democracy and fellating a liar. Too fucking weird, just hypocrites all the way down. Nice to your face (if they like you) and backstabbing cunts whenever their "sensibilities" are hurt.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @12:14AM (1 child)
"Mail fraud" is a federal felony. You DO NOT fuck with the US Postal Service. "Going Postal" is a meme for reason.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday October 09 2019, @01:00AM
LOL! No, really! [bloomberg.com]
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @03:13AM (1 child)
Sadly, treason has a very specific and narrow definition in the US Constitution: "Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort." It's going to be hard to make a charge of treason stick given that kind of narrow definition, though anyone trying to subvert the institutions of the United States, especially from within, can be argued to be its enemies, and efforts to do so could be construed as giving aid and comfort to such enemies.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday October 09 2019, @11:48AM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @12:58AM (8 children)
If I can declare millions of comments were fake, why can't I declare millions of voices/votes/whatevers fake? :)
Also "Buzzfeed", lol.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @02:29AM (4 children)
When there's evidence to back up your declaration, such declarations are much more convincing.
See how that works? Really weird, right?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @04:04AM (3 children)
Its called "the intelligence community agrees".
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @04:36AM (2 children)
Buzzfeed and the NYS attorney general are "Intelligence Agencies?"
Wow! Can I have some of what you're smoking? It must be really good!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @05:04AM
Of course they are, who do you think did the investigation?
(Score: 1, Redundant) by c0lo on Wednesday October 09 2019, @08:49AM
That's a kind of sarcasm, son, weird but still sarcasm.
I mean... it has to be, nobody in their own, sane mind would take the assertion literally... ummm.... would they?
(grin)
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @03:16AM (2 children)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @04:08AM (1 child)
The evidence is the consultant agency I hired to point it out.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @05:43AM
(Score: 5, Interesting) by PinkyGigglebrain on Wednesday October 09 2019, @03:01AM (3 children)
He was making accounts and impersonating people using data from a data breach.
How is this not identity theft , mis-use of computers, accesory after (or was he a co-conspiritor?) the fact of a cyber crime.
Any of those would get your average person arrested and hauled into court.
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @04:01AM
IOKIYAR
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @11:10AM (1 child)
Nothing will come of this for precisely the reasons he and his clients should be going to jail: He did it so large corporations could make even more money at the people's expense.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @01:30PM
Ahh that sounds like job creation. Free pass.
(Score: 2) by Hyperturtle on Thursday October 10 2019, @04:16PM
I wrote about this back when it was relevant. I wonder when they actually started their research, and if it took this long to write a story. If I was feeling generous, I'd say they sat on it until it became relevant again (election cycle, etc).
Calling this a new way to hack democracy is sorta clickbaity don't you think?
(Maybe I could moonlight as a source for these internet experts I keep reading about.)