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President Biden’s nominee for the Federal Communications Commission hit back at her critics today, saying the telecommunications industry shouldn’t be allowed to choose its own regulators.
“I deeply believe that regulated entities should not choose their regulators,” Thorne said in prepared testimony at a Senate Commerce Committee nomination hearing today. “Unfortunately, that is the exact intent of the past 15 months of false and misleading attacks on my record and my character. Hiding behind dark money groups and proxies because they fear the architects, who will support policies that bring more, faster, cheaper broadband and new voices to voters?”
Biden will first nominate Son, a longtime consumer advocate and former FCC employee, on Oct. 26, 2021. With the FCC bogged down with her two Democrats and her two Republicans, Chairman Jessica Rosenworcel has been unable to pursue major regulation of an industry that has been deregulated during the Trump era.
“The FCC has failed to win a majority for more than two years across the Biden administration at a time when bridging the digital divide is paramount,” Song testified. “Before the Commission, there were many issues such as improving the broadband map, fixing the universal service fund, closing the homework gap, ensuring fair access to broadband, protecting consumer privacy, etc., which could not fully compensate the members. There are so many important issues, and we deserve a full FCC that can play a key role in addressing all of them, but time is of the essence.”
Candidate: FCC needs consumer advocates
Sohn co-founded the consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge in 2001 and led the organization until 2013, when she became a counselor to then FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler.
“I believe it is important that at least one member of the FCC be a consumer advocate who has made a career out of nothing but that of the public,” Sohn’s testimony stated. rice field. “I have certainly worked with industry towards a common goal. Much of the industry is among the 400+ groups that support my affirmation, but my roots and my heart are rooted in the law. to everyday Americans tasked with serving the FCC.”
Republicans such as Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) opposed Son in his previous nomination hearings, arguing that he would use the FCC post to censor conservatives. In contrast to these criticisms, executives at conservative news networks Newsmax and One America News Network supported Son’s nomination and praised her longstanding commitment to free speech.
The National Broadcasting Corporation has accused Sohn of being a former board member of Locast, a non-profit online TV service. Locast was shut down after losing a copyright lawsuit filed by a major broadcast network. Comcast appears to have lobbied against Son behind the scenes, even though it has not publicly opposed the nomination.
Son faced ‘homophobic and sexist terrorism’
More recently, the conservative media has been accused of serving on the board of directors of the Electronic Frontier Foundation for the group’s fight against the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA), which the EFF has called an unconstitutional censorship of speech on the Internet. attacked Sohn. Last month’s Daily Mail headline read, “Biden’s FCC candidate Jiji Song joins board of nonprofit that wants to endorse online sex work, only-fan ruler who boasts of urinating in his face.” A Fox News headline described the EFF as “a group that opposes anti-sex trafficking efforts.”
Song, who is joined by his wife and daughter at today’s hearing, said in a recent statement from an advocacy group to the senator “that she faces homophobic remarks and attacks against herself and her family.” the letter says. “Homophobic or sexist fear-mongering behavior must not be considered in Gigi’s eligibility. We urge all members of the Senate to condemn homophobia and sexism and recognize Gigi’s nomination on its merits.” I urge you to consider it.
A spokesperson for the Democratic leadership of the Senate Commerce Committee said today, “We are facing a futile push against Gigi Song from opponents who clearly do not want to have pro-competitive, consumer-oriented experts on the committee. I’ve seen campaigns of smear and attacks.”
For the cable and telecommunications industries, trying to block Mr. Son’s nomination is circumventing consumer protection regulations. In a letter to senators yesterday, the US Chamber of Commerce said, “Song is one of his leading supporters of policies that amount to over-regulation in the broadband market.” Business groups also called Sohn’s support for his government-owned broadband network “disturbing”.
The Chamber of Commerce said, “Instead of focusing on the private sector providers that have helped America lead the world in quality and resilience, it would be a mistake to embrace public options for broadband.”
