FCC Chairman Ajit Pai canceled his appearance at CES because of death threats

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Apparently, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai canceled his scheduled appearance at a major upcoming tech industry trade show after receiving death threats. It’s the second known incident in which Chairman Pai’s safety may have been at risk, after a bomb threat abruptly forced the chairman to halt his controversial vote to scrap net neutrality rules in December 2017.

For both Chairman Pai and the whole of the FCC, the uptick in security concerns also presents a serious challenge to their ability to discuss critical tech policy issues in public view — without jeopardizing their safety or the safety of others in attendance.  In this case, the exact nature of the threat, made in advance of Chairman Pai’s fireside chat at the 2018 International CES, isn’t clear. A spokesman for Pai at the FCC, for its part, only said, “We do not comment on security measures or concerns.” But sources at the agency said that federal law enforcement had intervened in the matter, and other FCC offices are expected to be briefed on the matter. 


FCC Chairman Ajit Pai canceled his appearance at CES because of death threats FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is canceling his CES trip, purportedly over security concerns (Washington Post)