The Wall Street Journal has a thought-provoking article today which concerns a study of email comments sent to the Federal Communications Commission about something called net neutrality. What the Journal found, by surveying a million people those who submitted email comments, was that 7800 of them denied making any comments to the FCC. One woman who had been dead for 12 years, certainly did not comment.
Now, we might know what the Russians and others have been doing with all of those stolen emails. They can post public comment in almost anyone’s name and clog up the reviews of any piece of legislation. But, what the Journal suggested is equally interesting - a number of people who commented agreed with the comments sent in, but did not send them. That means that some of the lobbying groups that they were registered with may have used their email addresses to send comments in their name. I do register with groups I don’t agree with, but that is mostly to find out what they are saying to their audience, not because I want to send them money or help them. Those comments trying to undo this legislation could be mine.
Diabolical. I suggest any comments be sent to every contributor of comments with an notation that these were received from them and would be reviewed. It can be a simple thing to do and can be automated so it doesn’t require a lot of work on the Agency’s part. I know this is a small number of the actual contributions to the FCC, but this is a form of identity theft that we should really not tolerate.
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