“Participation” in the Disinformation Age

This story caught my eye: “NY AG finds nearly 82% of net neutrality comments to the FCC were fake”:

“The OAG found that millions of fake comments were submitted through a secret campaign, funded by the country’s largest broadband companies, to manufacture support for the repeal of existing net neutrality rules using lead generators,” the report says. “And millions more were submitted by a 19- year old college student using made-up identities.”

On the one hand, an organized effort from the biggest players in the industry. At the same time, millions (7.7 million, to be exact) from one student. Welcome to the wonders of modern technology.

The story does not say whether the FCC had any idea these were manipulated comments.

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