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Consumer Groups Want FCC Boss Ajit Pai Fired

Efforts have begun to try and derail the planned re-nomination for current FCC boss Ajit Pai. Pai has been an indisputably anti-consumer ally of large broadband ISPs since taking office earlier this year. His major policy efforts have involved killing FCC plans to make the cable box market more competitive, helping derail privacy protections for broadband consumers, lowering the base standard of broadband (to help hide a lack of competition in the market), helping prison phone monopolies rip off inmate families, and making it harder for the poor to get access to decent broadband.

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That's before you even get to the Pai FCC's ham-fisted attempts to downplay massive public opposition to killing net neutrality, which has ranged from making up completely a bogus DDoS attack, to freely allowing scammers and frauds to crap all over the FCC proceeding comment system.

Anyone surprised by these positions hadn't been paying attention. Pai's previous tenure as a regular Commissioner under FCC boss Tom Wheeler repeatedly involved a wholesale refusal to stand up to incumbent carriers on any subject of substance. Pai even voted down punishing AT&T for repeated instances of fraud.

Needless to say Pai may be one of the least popular FCC Commissioners in history, especially given that subjects like privacy and net neutrality have broad, bipartisan support among consumers. As such, consumer advocates like Free Press have begun gathering signatures on a petition to fire Pai, who needs a re-confirmation vote from the Senate in order to continue serving on the FCC.

"Since he joined the Commission, he's worked to undo policies designed to protect Internet users, communities of color and poor people," complains the group. "While he's supposed to protect the public interest, he's continuously voted against it and sided with the deep-pocketed corporations -- like Verizon -- that once employed him. He's failing at his job. And that means we need the Senate to fire him," Free Press added. "And we have an opportunity. The Senate has to vote to re-confirm Pai by the end of the year or he's out."

Pai's first term at the FCC ended last June, though under FCC laws he's allowed to stay on until the end of 2017. When President Trump appointed Pai to head the agency, it involved re-nominating Pai for a new five year term. But Pai needs to be confirmed via Senate vote, which reports indicate could happen withiin a week. And while most expect the GOP to rubber stamp his re-nomination, Democrats say they plan to take their time with the process in the hopes of further highlighting Pai's extremely anti-consumer positions.

"This debate on net neutrality, on privacy, is at a defining historical moment, and we have to ensure there is a full public debate so everyone can understand its importance," said Senator Ed Markey of the plan.

Most recommended from 61 comments



TIGERON
join:2008-03-11
Boston, MA

29 recommendations

TIGERON

Member

Fire him now

He’s an ugly scumbag who smiles at you while fucking you over. Whoever thinks Pai has anyone’s interest other than the ISPs and broadcasters really hasn’t looked at his track record.
techguru308
join:2016-05-19
Cincinnati, OH

12 recommendations

techguru308

Member

Ajit Pai is going nowhere

Ajit Pai is going nowhere President Donald Trump is not going to fire him and neither are the Republican members in congress. The best strategy going forward is to vote Republicans out of their house and senate seats to take away their majority so we can hold Trump and his administration accountable without republican interference.
netwolf
join:2007-05-04
Mckinney, TX

9 recommendations

netwolf

Member

FIRE PAI

This douchebag needs his walking papers.. I will be writing my letters to my senators.

kapil
The Kapil
join:2000-04-26
Chicago, IL

9 recommendations

kapil

Member

Sophie's Choice

Keep this dickbag at the FCC longer where he can fuck with all our lives or reward him with a comfy gig paying a million dollars at some company he was supposed to regulate while at the FCC?
CyberGuy
join:2006-08-21
Colbert, WA

7 recommendations

CyberGuy

Member

PAI=

Pretty Average Idiot; although, I think I just insulted pretty average idiots, including myself.

Anon0253d
@optonline.net

5 recommendations

Anon0253d

Anon

the same Congress

that is taking food out of the mouths of Medicaid recipients,(old and retired too). and is trying to deny them Medical care, too!. so don't expect help or caring thoughts from them!!..

pclover
join:2008-08-02
Santa Cruz, CA

1 edit

2 recommendations

pclover

Member

Firing him will mean very little

In reality him being fired will do very little. It will not change the FCC. He'll just be replaced with somebody else that will pull similar crap and be bought out.

People have been blasting at him but there is a much bigger problem at play and replacing him suddenly isn't going to solve it.