#Truth in Public Comments (TiPC) Research Project

The Truth in Public Comments (TIPC) Project will analyze public comments submitted in response to the proposed repeal of Net Neutrality by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). We aim to use data science, big data analysis, and on-the-ground journalism to separate authentic public submissions from fake comment campaigns. We will report our findings before the final December 14th FCC vote on Net Neutrality repeal. Our long-term vision is to expose the abuse of public comment systems, to fight PR hacking campaigns that manipulate public opinion, and to restore public confidence in the regulatory process.

Click here to read the Preliminary Report

Data

Data was downloaded from the FCC's API, a total of 65GB in the original form. Using a variety of technics, that data was culled down to a sample size of ~450,000 emails that were used in the survey. The data uploaded here is the deidentified dataset (emails addresses and names removed) of the emails used in that survey.

Acknowledgements

The preliminary report was drafted by Charles Belle, Gina Cooper, Jeffery Kao, and Sarah Rigdon.

Preliminary Report & Media

The Preliminary Report is accessible here`. Media coverage (for more background) can be found at The Parallax, Forbes, and TechDirt.

What's Next?

We are still in the early stages. Our first steps will be the publication of a Final Report. But our goal is for the TiPC Project to become a long-term fixture to better inform data-driven policymaking via the public comment process for Federal, State, and local agencies.

Ideas for developing this project are welcome, as are new areas to explore the data. The data will also be published on Tableau Public.

Photo Attribution

Photo by Christopher Burns on Unsplash