“Fake Public Comments On New Rules Probed,” The Wall Street Journal, January 25, 2018 A3. Were faked ids used to post comments on proposed federal regs?
When you make comments on a proposed government regulation, do you have to provide your correct name or id? Is there a special problem when the government tries to limit your free speech? Is this fraud (and if so, why?)? Apparently, it is a crime to “knowingly make false, fictitious or fraudulent statements to a US agency.” Is this 18 USC §1519, or something else? Can the government criminalize “fictitious” comments to the government? There’s the 1st Amendment of course, and the right to petition.
For a non-commercial site, how do you stop “spoofing”?
