5 ms·

Was Your Name Stolen to Support Killing Net Neutrality?

65 points by joeyespo 9y ago

LeoJiWoo 9y ago
Apparently someone used my name to support net neutrality. I'm pro-NN but its still disconcerting. I can't tell if it was a bot, or an overzealous friend. I hope the dystopian future won't be ruled by those with the best bots/spam.
- cassieramen 9y ago
  That is a very scary future. I too had comments under my name in support of net neutrality in addition to the real comment I filed. Hopefully the Equifax leak (which really seems to have blown over quickly) leads to a new identification system so public comments can actually be verified as coming from real citizens.
- mc32 9y ago
  I linked to this before. As previously, i don't know their methods or whether they are neutral observers it not, but i did find their findings to be interesting: http://www.emprata.com/reports/fcc-restoring-internet-freedom-docket/ http://www.emprata.com/reports/fcc-restoring-internet-freedo... Seems there was ballot stuffing on both sides.
- indubitable 9y ago
  I'm more concerned about basic social textual interaction. How long will it be until you can no longer be certain that I'm not a bot? Given that most online interaction is topic centric and limited in interactivity it becomes a sort of really lobotomized Turing Test and I have 0 doubt that militaries, intelligence agencies, major corporations, and more are all very actively researching this. And I see no reason to think it's anything that will prove to be insurmountable. Online polls (even with brief responses) are obviously completely meaningless exercises in self-selection bias, but it's going to be weird that probably not all that long in the future - even discussing things on the internet may end up becoming of questionable value. Perhaps that will signal the end of anonymity in discussion. And wouldn't be that be a world - when people can link you to the most idiotic things you've ever stated online, in your entire life. Talk about a chilling effect on discussion.
- rrauenza 9y ago
  A relative of mine's name was used (or this person actually submitted it, which is likely.) I'm sure the relative really doesn't understand the issue, and this is what was submitted: The current FCC regulatory scheme known as "Title II" represents an unprecedented increase in government control over the internet. Such over-regulation is hurting our economy and suffocating innovation. I support Chairman Pai's plan to return to a commonsense regulatory framework that allows for the internet to grow without useless government interference. The internet has flourished for decades without the heavy hand of government over-regulation. It's time we return to what works. Obviously, it was sold to this relative as a push against the heavy hand of the government ... If I had to guess, it was a viral facebook post pro-trump administration that gave boilerplate to paste in.
  - rrauenza 9y ago
    Well, the relative claims ignorance of the post... so likely a fake.
leereeves 9y ago
Anyone know of an example when public comments actually changed a government decision?
revmoo 9y ago
Great idea, but the tool is down at the moment.
ajr0 9y ago
_wow_.....my name was used against NN. that being said, the event was reported from a different address, but after investigation the address does not actually exist from which it was reported... so my initial thought on it simply being another person have changed.
- yebyen 9y ago
  "The unprecedented regulatory power the Obama Administration imposed on the internet is smothering innovation" ... ? My experience is the same. Most of my family apparently decided to take up fake residences in other states and coincidentally have the same opinions, word for word, on a few days in May and July of this year.
  - dhess 9y ago
    Yes, me too. My name, not my address, similar comment.
BackPropagate 9y ago
I found my 85 year old mother made a comment for net neutrality.
yebyen 9y ago
If this tool is down (edit: looks like it's not down, it's just slow), you could always check http://comcastroturf.com http://comcastroturf.com (but it looks like both tools depend on the FCC website, appearance is it's actually the FCC's search that is slow.) I have no idea if these two tools do exactly the same thing, but I was able to identify about 60% of my family whose names were used (all NY residents, but the addresses that fake comments were submitted under were all from other states.) And yes, it's possible that people with the same name as my family members were actually at those addresses in those other states, but it's extremely unlikely that they all decided to have the same opinion nearly word for word, all clustered on the same couple of days in May and July of this year.
- neilsimp1 9y ago
  I'm getting a 503 Service Unavailable from the call to the FCC service. <h2>FCC Message Alert!<h2> <font color="red">An FCC error has occured</font></font><p></p> <font type="Arial" size="2" color="#000000" style="font-weight:normal;">We're sorry, an unexpected error occurred with your request.</font>
  - esaym 9y ago
    Even better if you watch that API call (and it actually succeeds) you will see lots of personal info (emails, etc) that are not rendered in the HTML results.
    - esaym 9y ago
      And taking these email addresses and googling them only yields search results from some kind of random correlated "free public info" type sites. So I am assuming these accounts were put together by using info on these sites and then mass uploading them to the FCC. So it doesn't look like this is some sort of massive hack or anything of that nature.
post_break 9y ago
My name was not used, and it found my actual submission asking to keep NN, so at least I know it worked.
- billmalarky 9y ago
  Seconded.
fatalogic 9y ago
Looks like my name was used but I can't see the whole comment or address.
shmerl 9y ago
It just gives me a blank page on search.
- rosser 9y ago
  Other comments have suggested the FCC's site is running slowly. That might be load, or even deliberate "go away and stop trying to look at the man behind the curtain". Just because it doesn't load immediately, doesn't mean it's time for "WELP!"
plandis 9y ago
Not surprisingly, FCC search appears to not be working.
westbywest 9y ago
Here is the form the NY AG published. Once the FCC search results finally load (may take a couple mins, or more), you'd need to click on your name under the "Top Filers" box to the left. The first batch of search results don't appear to be fully filtered against the name you entered into the NY AG form. https://ag.ny.gov/fakecomments https://ag.ny.gov/fakecomments

65 points by joeyespo 9y ago

Apparently someone used my name to support net neutrality. I'm pro-NN but its still disconcerting. I can't tell if it was a bot, or an overzealous friend. I hope the dystopian future won't be ruled by those with the best bots/spam.

cassieramen 9y ago
That is a very scary future. I too had comments under my name in support of net neutrality in addition to the real comment I filed. Hopefully the Equifax leak (which really seems to have blown over quickly) leads to a new identification system so public comments can actually be verified as coming from real citizens.
mc32 9y ago
I linked to this before. As previously, i don't know their methods or whether they are neutral observers it not, but i did find their findings to be interesting: http://www.emprata.com/reports/fcc-restoring-internet-freedom-docket/ http://www.emprata.com/reports/fcc-restoring-internet-freedo... Seems there was ballot stuffing on both sides.
indubitable 9y ago
I'm more concerned about basic social textual interaction. How long will it be until you can no longer be certain that I'm not a bot? Given that most online interaction is topic centric and limited in interactivity it becomes a sort of really lobotomized Turing Test and I have 0 doubt that militaries, intelligence agencies, major corporations, and more are all very actively researching this. And I see no reason to think it's anything that will prove to be insurmountable. Online polls (even with brief responses) are obviously completely meaningless exercises in self-selection bias, but it's going to be weird that probably not all that long in the future - even discussing things on the internet may end up becoming of questionable value. Perhaps that will signal the end of anonymity in discussion. And wouldn't be that be a world - when people can link you to the most idiotic things you've ever stated online, in your entire life. Talk about a chilling effect on discussion.
rrauenza 9y ago
A relative of mine's name was used (or this person actually submitted it, which is likely.) I'm sure the relative really doesn't understand the issue, and this is what was submitted: The current FCC regulatory scheme known as "Title II" represents an unprecedented increase in government control over the internet. Such over-regulation is hurting our economy and suffocating innovation. I support Chairman Pai's plan to return to a commonsense regulatory framework that allows for the internet to grow without useless government interference. The internet has flourished for decades without the heavy hand of government over-regulation. It's time we return to what works. Obviously, it was sold to this relative as a push against the heavy hand of the government ... If I had to guess, it was a viral facebook post pro-trump administration that gave boilerplate to paste in.
- rrauenza 9y ago
  Well, the relative claims ignorance of the post... so likely a fake.

leereeves 9y ago

Anyone know of an example when public comments actually changed a government decision?

revmoo 9y ago

Great idea, but the tool is down at the moment.

ajr0 9y ago

_wow_.....my name was used against NN. that being said, the event was reported from a different address, but after investigation the address does not actually exist from which it was reported... so my initial thought on it simply being another person have changed.

yebyen 9y ago
"The unprecedented regulatory power the Obama Administration imposed on the internet is smothering innovation" ... ? My experience is the same. Most of my family apparently decided to take up fake residences in other states and coincidentally have the same opinions, word for word, on a few days in May and July of this year.
- dhess 9y ago
  Yes, me too. My name, not my address, similar comment.

BackPropagate 9y ago

I found my 85 year old mother made a comment for net neutrality.

yebyen 9y ago

If this tool is down (edit: looks like it's not down, it's just slow), you could always check http://comcastroturf.com http://comcastroturf.com (but it looks like both tools depend on the FCC website, appearance is it's actually the FCC's search that is slow.) I have no idea if these two tools do exactly the same thing, but I was able to identify about 60% of my family whose names were used (all NY residents, but the addresses that fake comments were submitted under were all from other states.) And yes, it's possible that people with the same name as my family members were actually at those addresses in those other states, but it's extremely unlikely that they all decided to have the same opinion nearly word for word, all clustered on the same couple of days in May and July of this year.

neilsimp1 9y ago
I'm getting a 503 Service Unavailable from the call to the FCC service. <h2>FCC Message Alert!<h2> <font color="red">An FCC error has occured</font></font><p></p> <font type="Arial" size="2" color="#000000" style="font-weight:normal;">We're sorry, an unexpected error occurred with your request.</font>
- esaym 9y ago
  Even better if you watch that API call (and it actually succeeds) you will see lots of personal info (emails, etc) that are not rendered in the HTML results.
  - esaym 9y ago
    And taking these email addresses and googling them only yields search results from some kind of random correlated "free public info" type sites. So I am assuming these accounts were put together by using info on these sites and then mass uploading them to the FCC. So it doesn't look like this is some sort of massive hack or anything of that nature.

post_break 9y ago

My name was not used, and it found my actual submission asking to keep NN, so at least I know it worked.

billmalarky 9y ago
Seconded.

fatalogic 9y ago

Looks like my name was used but I can't see the whole comment or address.

shmerl 9y ago

It just gives me a blank page on search.

rosser 9y ago
Other comments have suggested the FCC's site is running slowly. That might be load, or even deliberate "go away and stop trying to look at the man behind the curtain". Just because it doesn't load immediately, doesn't mean it's time for "WELP!"

plandis 9y ago

Not surprisingly, FCC search appears to not be working.

westbywest 9y ago

Here is the form the NY AG published. Once the FCC search results finally load (may take a couple mins, or more), you'd need to click on your name under the "Top Filers" box to the left. The first batch of search results don't appear to be fully filtered against the name you entered into the NY AG form. https://ag.ny.gov/fakecomments https://ag.ny.gov/fakecomments