If you’re headed to CES — everyone’s favorite tech trade show — next week, don’t expect to see Ajit Pai. The FCC chair has canceled his scheduled appearance during the conference after receiving death threats, Recode reports. A spokesperson for the FCC told Recode it would “not comment on security measures or concerns.”
From Recode:
A spokeswoman for the Consumer Technology Association, which puts on the annual Las Vegas–based trade show, also declined to comment. Earlier, though, CTA’s leader, Gary Shapiro, told the publication Digital Trends that he did not know why Pai had canceled — but raised the fact that he had recently been “subject to vicious and direct attacks and threats.”
It seems weird that Pai would be receiving death threats, given he’s generally beloved on the World Wide Web. What could it be about the man who fought tooth and nail to end net neutrality, leaving people open to being gouged by their internet-service providers, that has people feeling angry? Really boggles the mind. Everyone in Vegas next week will just have to do the “Harlem Shake” without Pai this time.
