The Vergecast What happened in the comments section of the FCC's net neutrality hearing?
Nov 5, 2019
In this insightful discussion, Jeremy Singer-Vine, data editor for BuzzFeed News, unravels the shocking truth behind the fake comments at the FCC's net neutrality hearing. He reveals how some submissions came from deceased individuals and highlights the role of dubious firms in manipulating public participation. The talk dives into the ethical challenges of handling anonymous opinions and the need for robust verification systems to maintain integrity in civic engagement. A thought-provoking examination of how to secure genuine voices in governmental processes!
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Fake Comments in Net Neutrality Proceeding
- Millions of comments in the FCC's net neutrality proceeding were fake, including comments from dead people.
- Some companies used data breaches to file comments through automated systems.
Fake Comments and Impersonation
- The FCC received 22 million comments on its net neutrality proposal.
- Many comments were fake or impersonated others, including nearly 2 million comments funded by the broadband industry.
Source of Fake Comments
- Over 94% of comments submitted by MediaBridge matched data from the Modern Business Solutions data breach.
- The remaining comments likely used data from the same breach, attached to Mad Libs-style generated comments.