Network neutrality: the lies are exposed

Ajit Pai, Director of the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has been given the dubious honor of being the first person in his position to be the subject of a petition on the White House website calling him to resign. The petition has already exceeded the 100,000 signatures it needs to receive an official response.

The reasons for the petition are not simply Pai’s arrogant intentions to end internet neutrality as quickly as possible, which will likely generate huge legal problems, but also that he was part of a conspiracy intended to simulate broad support for repeal of internet neutrality, whereby more than 1.3 million mails sent to the FCC were created from stolen identities, an out of date electoral register, dead people, and others who knew nothing about internet neutrality or who had never visited the FCC website. An ongoing investigation by the US Attorney General’s office shows not only that the aforementioned comments supporting repeal of internet neutrality legislation passed under Barack Obama, were mostly false, and that 99% of mails sent to the FCC supporting net neutrality were indeed genuine.

According to the Attorney General’s investigation, the FCC, under the direction of Pai, not only simulated a denial of service attack allegedly in response to the petition, but also coordinated the actions of groups that were probably sponsored by telecommunications companies, refused to eliminate comments that were obviously fraudulent, consciously ignored many legitimate comments, and ignored requests for information by members of the public made through the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA).

The accusations point to an attempt to vast plot to end internet neutrality funded by telecommunications companies, with Ajit Pai, the man with the permanent smile, the nice guy who goes to work on a skateboard, the public face of a corrupt scheme to take over the internet by buying as many politicians as possible to go against the interests of their constituents, who have made it overwhelmingly clear that what they want is a neutral internet that works as it has always worked, and not for the benefit of the telecommunications companies.

The most shocking thing about all this is that in the context of what is possibly the most corrupt US administration in recent times, the mounting evidence of corruption will not stop Pai. This is not just a battle that affects the United States, but the whole world. And if the battle is lost, what then? Time for a Plan B?

I have said it on many occasions: if you are not worried about the threat to internet neutrality, you obviously haven’t bothered to read up on it. It is the biggest threat to the internet so far. Do your homework.

(En español, aquí)