Tech

Republicans fight Biden FCC pick Gigi Sohn, claim she’ll censor conservatives

Gigi Sohn speaking and gesturing with her hand while testifying at a Senate hearing.

Enlarge / Gigi Sohn testifies during a Senate committee hearing on June 21, 2012. (credit: Getty Images | Alex Wong )

Senate Republicans are planning a strong fight against President Biden’s nomination of consumer advocate Gigi Sohn to the Federal Communications Commission. “I will do everything in my power to convince colleagues on both sides of the aisle to reject this extreme nominee,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) wrote in a Twitter thread yesterday.

Sohn has a longtime career in government policy, having co-founded consumer-advocacy group Public Knowledge in 2001. In 2013, then-FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler chose Sohn to serve as a counselor, and the FCC proceeded to adopt Title II common-carrier and net neutrality regulations for Internet service providers—rules that were later overturned during the Trump administration. Since leaving the FCC, Sohn has continued to push for strict regulations to protect telecom consumers.

“For over thirty years, Gigi has worked to defend and preserve the fundamental competition and innovation policies that have made broadband Internet access more ubiquitous, competitive, affordable, open, and protective of user privacy,” the White House said in its announcement of Sohn’s nomination on October 26.

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