Free Press Hits Pai for 'Defaming' Group, Says Millions Will Oppose Title II Rollback
Free Press accused FCC Chairman Ajit Pai of "defaming" the group in announcing his open internet plans Wednesday to reverse Communications Act Title II broadband authority, but it vowed not to be intimidated and said millions of people will oppose…
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his plans. "Pai recycled some out-of-context quotes to red-bait one of our co-founders and dismiss our decade-plus efforts to safeguard the open internet," said Free Press CEO Craig Aaron in a statement Friday to "clear up the record." In his speech (see 1704260054), Pai said the co-founder of the "spectacularly misnamed" Free Press "takes his inspiration from Venezuela" and acknowledged in 2007 that "the ultimate goal is to get rid of" phone and cable "media capitalists" so government could take over the internet. Aaron said that Pai doesn't want to debate net neutrality facts but "would have you believe we're secretly being guided by some offhand comments to an obscure Canadian socialist academic website by Robert McChesney," who co-founded Free Press but "isn’t involved in our day-to-day decisions or operations" as an emeritus board member. "Pai was also worked up about an Op-Ed McChesney co-wrote about U.S. coverage of the Venezuelan media a decade ago," wrote Aaron, denying Free Press or its staff had any role in either article. "It’s no coincidence that Pai highlighted these snippets. They’ve been circulating on right-wing conspiracy websites since at least 2010. These same quotes pop up every time Net Neutrality is back in the news. ... And now they show up in Pai’s speech. It shouldn’t be such a surprise. This is the Trump-administration playbook." Aaron said Free Press is "not so easily intimidated. We know we’ve got the facts on our side -- and the people, too." The FCC didn't comment.