View source for Ajit Pai

{{Short description|American lawyer (born 1973)}}
{{About|the FCC commissioner|the cricketer|Ajit Pai (cricketer)}}
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{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Ajit Pai
| image               = Ajit Pai portrait 2018.jpg
| caption             = Official portrait, 2018
| office              = [[List of chairmen of the Federal Communications Commission|Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission]]
| president           = [[Donald Trump]]
| term_start          = January 23, 2017
| term_end            = January 20, 2021
| predecessor         = [[Tom Wheeler]]
| successor           = [[Jessica Rosenworcel]]
| office1             = Member of the [[Federal Communications Commission]]
| president1          = {{ubl|[[Barack Obama]]|Donald Trump}}
| term_start1         = May 14, 2012
| term_end1           = January 20, 2021
| predecessor1        = [[Meredith Attwell Baker]]
| successor1          = [[Anna M. Gomez]]
| birth_name          = Ajit Varadaraj Pai
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1973|1|10}}
| birth_place         = [[Buffalo, New York]], U.S.
| death_date          =
| death_place         =
| party               = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| spouse              = {{marriage|Janine Van Lancker|2010}}
| children            = 2
| education           = {{ubl|[[Harvard University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])|[[University of Chicago]] ([[Juris Doctorate|JD]])}}
}}
'''Ajit Varadaraj Pai''' ({{IPAc-en|ə|ˈ|dʒ|iː|t|_|ˈ|p|aɪ}};<ref>{{YouTube|LFhT6H6pRWg|"PSA from Chairman of the FCC Ajit Pai"}}</ref> born January 10, 1973) is an American lawyer who served as chairman of the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) from 2017 to 2021. He has been a partner at the [[private-equity firm]] [[Searchlight Capital]] since April 2021.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Primack |first1=Dan |title=Trump FCC chair Ajit Pai joins private equity firm |url=https://www.axios.com/ajit-pai-private-equity-fcc-57b9f52e-cfe0-4871-ad9c-e5fe4da47cf8.html |website=Axios |access-date=26 April 2021 |language=en |date=26 April 2021}}</ref>
The son of Indian immigrants to the United States, Pai grew up in [[Parsons, Kansas]]. He is a graduate of both [[Harvard University]] and the [[University of Chicago Law School]]. He worked as a lawyer in various offices of the [[United States Department of Justice|U.S. Department of Justice]] and the [[United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee]], with a two-year stint as an in-house lawyer for [[Verizon Communications]]. He joined the FCC as a lawyer in its Office of General Counsel in 2007. He was nominated to be a commissioner in 2011 by President [[Barack Obama]], who followed tradition in preserving balance on the commission by accepting the recommendation of Senate Majority Leader [[Mitch McConnell]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kastrenakes|first=Jacob|date=2017-01-23|title=Trump's new FCC chief is Ajit Pai, and he wants to destroy net neutrality|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/1/23/14338522/fcc-chairman-ajit-pai-donald-trump-appointment|access-date=2020-09-05|website=The Verge|language=en}}</ref> He was confirmed unanimously by the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] on May 7, 2012,<ref name="Bio"/> and was sworn in on May 14, 2012, for a five-year term.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/11/trumps-fcc-tom-wheeler-to-be-replaced-set-top-box-reform-could-be-dead/|title=Trump's FCC: Tom Wheeler to be replaced, set-top box reform could be dead|date=November 10, 2016|access-date=April 6, 2018}}</ref>
In January 2017, newly inaugurated president [[Donald Trump]] designated Pai as FCC chairman.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Furchtgott-Roth|first=Harold|date=January 22, 2017|title=President Trump Designates Ajit Pai As Chairman Of FCC|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/haroldfurchtgottroth/2017/01/22/president-trump-designates-ajit-pai-as-chairman-of-fcc/|access-date=2020-09-05|website=Forbes|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Devin Coldewey|date=January 23, 2017|title=Trump's FCC Chairman pick Ajit Pai heralds a weaker, meeker Commission|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/23/trumps-fcc-chairman-pick-ajit-pai-heralds-a-weaker-meeker-commission/|access-date=2020-09-05|website=TechCrunch|language=en-US}}</ref> He is the first [[Indian American]] to hold the office. In March 2017, Trump announced that he would renominate Pai to serve another five-year term (remaining Chairman of the FCC).<ref>{{cite news|last=Johnson|first=Ted|title=President Trump Renominates Ajit Pai for New FCC Term|url=https://variety.com/2017/biz/news/ajit-pai-donald-trump-fcc-1202003785/|access-date=April 6, 2018|work=Variety|date=March 7, 2017}}</ref> Pai was confirmed by the U.S. Senate for an additional five-year term on October 2, 2017.<ref name=confirmed>{{cite magazine|last=Shepardson|first=David|title=Senate Confirms FCC Chairman to New Five-Year Term |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/technology/articles/2017-10-02/us-senate-confirms-fcc-chairman-to-new-five-year-term|access-date=April 6, 2018|agency=Reuters |magazine=U.S. News & World Report|date=October 2, 2017}}</ref> Pai is a proponent of repealing [[net neutrality in the United States]] and, on December 14, 2017, voted with the majority of the FCC to reverse the decision to regulate the [[internet]] under Title II of the [[Communications Act of 1934]]. Pai resigned on January 20, 2021, the day of [[Joe Biden]]'s inauguration as [[President of the United States]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Feiner|first=Lauren|date=2020-11-30|title=FCC Chairman Ajit Pai will step down on January 20|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/30/fcc-chairman-ajit-pai-will-step-down-on-january-20.html|access-date=2020-11-30|website=CNBC|language=en}}</ref>
==Early life and education==
Pai was born on January 10, 1973,<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.upi.com/Top_News/2020/01/10/UPI-Almanac-for-Friday-Jan-10-2020/8011578535365/ |title= UPI Almanac for Friday, Jan. 10, 2020 |work= [[United Press International]] | date= January 10, 2020|access-date=February 1, 2020 |archive-date= January 15, 2020|archive-url= https://archive.today/20200115192229/https://www.upi.com/Top_News/2020/01/09/UPI-Almanac-for-Thursday-Jan-9-2020/6871578415895/|url-status=live|quote=… Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, in 1973 (age 47)}}</ref> in [[Buffalo, New York]].<ref name=B&C>{{cite news|last=Eggerton|first=John |title=Minority report: in his first extensive interview as the FCC's new GOP commissioner, Ajit Pai explains why government should get out of the way of innovation|newspaper=[[Broadcasting & Cable]] |date=September 10, 2012 |pages=16+
|url=http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/bic1/MagazinesDetailsPage/MagazinesDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=BIC1&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Magazines&limiter=&currPage=&disableHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&search_within_results=&p=BIC1&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA310650911&source=Bookmark&u=fairfax_main&jsid=2054fb13a09a9f6d8cc5b6969ba1bf99|access-date=December 30, 2013|id=Gale Document Number: GALE<nowiki>|</nowiki>A310650911|format=fee, via [[Fairfax County Public Library]]}} Biography in Context. {{subscription required}}</ref> His father, Varadaraj Pai, and his mother, Radha Pai, immigrated to the United States from India in 1971. His father was a [[urology|urologist]] and his mother was an [[anesthesiology|anesthesiologist]].<ref>{{cite news|title=FCC Chair Ajit Pai lauds Indian and Indian American contributions to U.S. leadership in technology|url=http://www.newsindiatimes.com/fcc-chair-ajit-pai-lauds-indian-and-indian-american-contributions-to-u-s-leadership-in-technology|work=News India Times|date=March 30, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Ajit Pai Nominated as Commissioner to FCC|url=http://www.indiawest.com/news/global_indian/ajit-pai-nominated-as-commissioner-to-fcc/article_e59937ee-4cba-5aa7-a6d1-e618d0440ac4.html|access-date=November 28, 2017|agency=Reuters|publisher=Indian West|date=November 9, 2011|archive-date=June 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618002722/http://www.indiawest.com/news/global_indian/ajit-pai-nominated-as-commissioner-to-fcc/article_e59937ee-4cba-5aa7-a6d1-e618d0440ac4.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Trump Taps Commissioner Ajit Pai to Head FCC |url=http://fortune.com/2017/01/23/trump-taps-commissioner-ajit-pai-to-head-fcc/|access-date=March 8, 2017|agency=Reuters|publisher=Fortune|date=January 23, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/Indian-American-Ajit-Pai-may-head-U.S.-communication-commission/article17054474.ece|title=Indian-American Ajit Pai may head U.S. communication commission|newspaper=The Hindu|date=January 18, 2017}}</ref><ref name=Senate_hearing>{{cite web|url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-112shrg75046/html/CHRG-112shrg75046.htm|access-date=April 6, 2018|date=November 30, 2011|id=S. Hrg. 112–480|publisher=[[Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation]]|title=Nominations of Jessica Rosenworcel and Ajit Pai to The Federal Communications Commission}}</ref>
Pai grew up in [[Parsons, Kansas]], where his parents worked at the county hospital. After graduating from [[Parsons Senior High School]] in 1990, Pai studied [[social studies]] at [[Harvard University]], where he was a member of the [[Harvard Speech and Parliamentary Debate Society]].<ref>{{cite web|access-date=April 6, 2018|url=http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~debate/alumni.htm|title=Our Distinguished Alumni|publisher=Harvard Speech & Parliamentary Debate Society|archive-date=December 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206223406/http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~debate/alumni.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> He graduated from Harvard in 1994 with an [[Bachelor of Arts|A.B.]] with honors. He then attended the [[University of Chicago Law School]], where he was an editor of the ''[[University of Chicago Law Review]]'' and won a Mulroy Prize for excellence in [[evidence law]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/ajit-pai/2013/06/07/d5c546d0-cf80-11e2-8f6b-67f40e176f03_story.html|title=Ajit Pai|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=April 6, 2018}}</ref> He graduated with a [[Juris Doctor|J.D.]] in 1997.
==Career==
{{moresources|section|date=October 2024}}
After law school, Pai [[law clerk|clerked]] for Judge [[Martin Leach-Cross Feldman]] of the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana|U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana]] from 1997 to 1998.<ref name=Bio/> Pai then worked for the [[United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division|Antitrust Division]] of the [[United States Department of Justice|U.S. Department of Justice]] as an Honors Program trial attorney on the Telecommunications Task Force. There, he worked on proposed [[mergers and acquisitions]] and on novel requests for regulatory relief following the enactment of the [[Telecommunications Act of 1996]].
Pai left his Department of Justice post in February 2001 to serve as Associate General Counsel at [[Verizon Communications]] Inc., where he handled competition matters, regulatory issues, and counseling of business units on broadband initiatives.<ref name=Bio /> Pai left Verizon in April 2003 and was hired as Deputy Chief Counsel to the [[United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts|United States Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts]]. He returned to the [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]] to serve as senior counsel in the [[Office of Legal Policy]] in May 2004. He held that position until February 2005, when he was hired as Chief Counsel to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Property Rights.
Between 2007 and 2011, Pai held several positions in the FCC's [[Office of General Counsel]], serving most prominently as Deputy General Counsel. In this role, he had supervisory responsibility over several dozen lawyers in the Administrative Law Division and worked on a wide variety of regulatory and transactional matters involving the [[wireless]], wireline, [[Cable television|cable]], [[Internet]], [[Mass media|media]], and [[satellite]] industries.<ref name=Bio /> In 2010, Pai was one of 55 individuals nationwide chosen for the 2011 Marshall Memorial Fellowship, a leadership development initiative of the [[German Marshall Fund of the United States]].<ref name=Bio /> Pai returned to the private sector in April 2011, working in the Washington, D.C., office of law firm [[Jenner & Block]] where he was a partner in the Communications Practice.
In 2011, Pai was then nominated for a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] position on the Federal Communications Commission by President [[Barack Obama]] at the recommendation of Minority leader [[Mitch McConnell]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fortune.com/2017/12/14/ajit-pai-net-neutrality-donald-trump/|title=How FCC Chair Ajit Pai Took His Fight Against Net Neutrality to the Finish Line|access-date=March 7, 2018|quote=...but the following year Kentucky senator Mitch McConnell recommended to president Obama that Pai would make a good FCC commissioner.}}</ref> He was confirmed unanimously by the [[United States Senate]] on May 7, 2012, and was sworn in on May 14, 2012, for a term that concluded on June 30, 2016.<ref name="Bio">{{cite web |url=https://www.fcc.gov/about/leadership/ajit-pai |title=Commissioner Ajit Pai |work=FCC.gov |date=June 6, 2013 |access-date=December 30, 2013}}</ref> Pai was then designated chairman of the FCC by President [[Donald Trump]] in January 2017 for a five-year term.<ref>{{cite news|title=Trump Renominates Net Neutrality Foe Ajit Pai to FCC, Source Says|author=Shields Todd|publisher=Bloomberg L.P.|date=March 7, 2017|access-date=April 30, 2017|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-03-07/net-neutrality-foe-ajit-pai-said-renominated-by-trump-to-fcc}}</ref> He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate for the additional five-year term on October 2, 2017.<ref name=confirmed />
In 2019, he was named forty-seventh among the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare by ''[[Modern Healthcare]]''.<ref>{{cite web | title= 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare - 2019 |url=https://www.modernhealthcare.com/awards/100-most-influential-people-healthcare-2019|website=Modern Healthcare|date=February 6, 2019|access-date=December 31, 2019}}</ref> He resigned from his post on 20 January 2021, following the [[inauguration of Joe Biden]] as [[President of the United States]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Feiner|first=Lauren|date=2020-11-30|title=FCC Chairman Ajit Pai will step down on Jan 20|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/30/fcc-chairman-ajit-pai-will-step-down-on-january-20.html|access-date=2021-07-31|website=CNBC|language=en}}</ref>
== Policy positions ==
Pai was an advocate for less regulation during his tenure on the FCC. He was seen as a closer ally to broadcasters than to other members of the FCC.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Flint|first1=Joe|title=FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai seeks peace with broadcasters|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-pai-fcc-broadcasters-20140505-story.html|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=May 5, 2014}}</ref> In testimony before the [[U.S. House of Representatives]] [[Energy and Commerce Committee]]'s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology on July 10, 2012, he warned about the dangers of regulatory uncertainty and the need for the FCC to keep pace with the dynamic communications sector.<ref name="Hearing">{{cite web |url=http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2012/db0710/DOC-315058A1.pdf |title=Testimony of Commissioner Ajit Pai, Hearing on Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission |publisher=Federal Communications Commission|access-date=July 10, 2012}}</ref> Pai also asserted that by reforming the way the commission works, the agency can facilitate the provision of new and better services at lower prices for American consumers.<ref name="Hearing" />
Pai gave his first major speech since taking office at [[Carnegie Mellon University]] on July 18, 2012. He discussed how the FCC can help promote [[economic growth]] and enhance job creation in the [[information and communications technology]] field<ref>{{cite web |url=http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2012/db0718/DOC-315268A1.pdf |title=Unlocking Investment and Innovation in the Digital Age:The Path to a 21st-Century FCC |publisher=Federal Communications Commission|access-date=July 18, 2012}}</ref> by adhering to three basic principles: (1) the FCC should be as nimble as the industry it oversees; (2) the FCC should prioritize the removal of regulatory barriers to infrastructure investment; and (3) the FCC should accelerate its efforts to allocate additional spectrum for mobile broadband.<ref name="Speech">{{cite news |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2012/07/18/new-fcc-member-wants-nimble-agency.html |title=New FCC member wants nimble agency |first=Malia |last=Spencer |work=Pittsburgh Business Times
|date=July 18, 2012|access-date=November 20, 2022}}</ref> Pai called for a reinvigoration of Section 7 of the [[Communications Act of 1934|Communications Act]], which gives the commission a one-year deadline to review proposals for new technologies and services. He introduced the idea of creating an IP Transition Task Force to expedite the country's transition to all-IP networks. He urged the commission to settle the nine-year-old contributions reform proceeding for the [[Universal Service Fund]] by the end of the year. Finally, he advocated for completing the rules for the AWS-4 spectrum band by September 2012 and conducting the broadcast spectrum incentive auctions by June 30, 2014.<ref name="Speech" />
Pai wrote an op-ed for the ''Wall Street Journal'' in 2014 criticizing a proposed FCC study of the news-gathering practices of media organizations.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Farhi|first1=Paul|title=Proposed FCC study of news organizations sparks conservative outcry|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/proposed-fcc-study-of-news-organizations-sparks-conservative-outcry/2014/02/20/117401d8-9a71-11e3-80ac-63a8ba7f7942_story.html|newspaper=Washington Post|date=February 20, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Op-Ed">{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304680904579366903828260732 |title=The FCC Wades into the Newsroom |access-date=March 3, 2014 | work=Wall Street Journal}}</ref> In another 2014 letter, Pai criticized [[Netflix]], writing that their Open Connect caching tools effectively secure fast lanes for its traffic.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wilhelm|first1=Alex|title=Netflix Fires Back At FCC Commish Pai's Allegation That It Is Building Internet Fast Lanes For Its Own Content|url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/12/11/netflix-fires-back-at-fcc-commish-pais-allegation-that-it-is-building-internet-fast-lanes-for-its-own-content/|work=TechCrunch|date=December 11, 2014}}</ref>
In October 2014, Pai wrote an op-ed in the ''Washington Post'' criticizing a government-funded research project named Truthy at [[Indiana University]] which was studying the spread of "false and misleading ideas, hate speech and subversive propaganda" online.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pai |first=Ajit |date=October 17, 2014 |title=The government wants to study 'social pollution' on Twitter |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/truthy-project-is-unworthy-of-tax-dollars/2014/10/17/a3274faa-531b-11e4-809b-8cc0a295c773_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=May 18, 2017}}</ref> Pai questioned the value of the project, writing, "should taxpayer money be used to monitor your speech and evaluate your 'partisanship'?" Truthy researchers defended the project, writing, "we do not monitor individual people. The tweets we analyze are public and accessible by anyone."<ref>{{cite news |last=Farrell |first=Henry |date=October 22, 2014 |title=No, the National Science Foundation is not building an Orwellian surveillance nightmare |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2014/10/22/no-the-national-science-foundation-is-not-building-an-orwellian-surveillance-nightmare/ |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=May 18, 2017}}</ref> Indiana University issued a press release which said "the Truthy project is a basic computing research project designed to provide analytical insight into the ways in which information is spread across social media networks such as Twitter."<ref>{{cite press release |last=Bikoff |first=Ken |date=October 23, 2014 |title=Statement about the Truthy project from Indiana University |url=https://www.soic.indiana.edu/news/story.html?story=Statement-about-Truthy-project-Indiana-University |publisher=Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing |access-date=May 18, 2017}}</ref> U.S. House Science Committee Chairman [[Lamar S. Smith|Lamar Smith]] sent a letter to the [[National Science Foundation]] announcing a review of the grant.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Smith Reviews NSF-Funded Project Targeting Conservative Political Speech on Twitter |url=https://science.house.gov/news/press-releases/smith-reviews-nsf-funded-project-targeting-conservative-political-speech-twitter |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=House Committee on Science, Space, & Technology |date=November 10, 2014 |access-date=May 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516183226/https://science.house.gov/news/press-releases/smith-reviews-nsf-funded-project-targeting-conservative-political-speech-twitter |archive-date=May 16, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 2017, Pai removed from circulation a proposal introduced by Tom Wheeler which would have required cable providers to make their programming available on third-party devices.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Brodkin|first1=Jon|title=FCC Chairman Pai Takes Wheeler's Set-Top Box Plan Off the Table|url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/01/fcc-chairman-pai-takes-wheelers-set-top-box-plan-off-the-table/|website=[[Ars Technica]]|date=January 30, 2017|publisher=[[Condé Nast|Wired Media]]|access-date=April 19, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170130224813/https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/01/fcc-chairman-pai-takes-wheelers-set-top-box-plan-off-the-table/|archive-date=January 30, 2017}}</ref><ref name="NYT_trump_fcc_net_neutrality">{{citation |work=The New York Times |date=February 5, 2017 |access-date=February 5, 2017 |title=Trump's F.C.C. Quickly Targets Net Neutrality Rules |author=Cecilia Kang |url=https://nyti.ms/2kCZSZx}}</ref>
In June 2019, the FCC under Pai allowed telecommunications companies to automatically sign up their users in call-blocking services. The measure was proposed by Pai, who said that it would reduce "unwanted [[robocalls]]". In response, FCC Commissioner [[Jessica Rosenworcel]] argued that the FCC should go further in mandating free call-blocking services.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Romm |first1=Tony |title=The FCC allows AT&T, Verizon and other carriers to block more suspected robocalls |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/06/06/fcc-allows-att-verizon-other-carriers-block-more-suspected-robocalls/ |access-date=January 24, 2021 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=June 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210124022459/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/06/06/fcc-allows-att-verizon-other-carriers-block-more-suspected-robocalls/ |archive-date=January 24, 2021}}</ref>
In July 2020, the FCC under Pai approved the creation of a new number [[9-8-8]], for the hotline for suicide prevention; the old hotline was numbered 1-800-273-8255, while the new hotline came into effect in July 2022.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bote |first1=Joshua |title=FCC unanimously approves 988 as new three-digit suicide prevention hotline |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/07/16/988-fcc-approves-3-digit-number-new-suicide-prevention-hotline/5451284002/ |website=[[USA Today]] |access-date=January 22, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-15 |title=New 988 hotline is the 911 for mental health emergencies |first=Lindsey |last=Tanner |url=https://apnews.com/article/mental-health-hotline-988-ac50f02b74b8b89be5592be3f3605ff5 |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref>
=== Net neutrality in the United States ===
{{Main|Net neutrality in the United States}}
In a hearing on net neutrality in 2014, Pai said that he was committed to a free and open internet and that it was not the FCC's role to determine net neutrality. He testified that "a dispute this fundamental is not for us, five unelected individuals, to decide. Instead, it should be resolved by the people's elected representatives, those who choose the direction of government, and those whom the American people can hold accountable for that choice."<ref name=nyt.testimony>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/14/technology/net-neutrality-repeal-vote.html |title=F.C.C. Backs Opening Net Neutrality Rules for Debate |last=Wyatt |first=Edward |date=May 15, 2014|work=New York Times|access-date=December 14, 2017}}</ref> Later, Pai voted against the FCC's 2015 Open Internet Order, classifying internet service under [[Net neutrality in the United States#Section 706 vs. Title II|Title II]] of the [[Communications Act of 1934]], which bars certain providers from "mak[ing] any unjust or unreasonable discrimination in charges, practices, classifications, regulations, facilities, or services".<ref>{{USC|47|202}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Boliek|first=Brooks|title=Net neutrality's chief critic |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/pai-embraces-chief-critic-role-on-net-neutrality-115298.html|work=Politico|date=February 19, 2015|access-date=April 6, 2018}}</ref> He said in December 2016 that he believed Title II net neutrality's "days [were] numbered",<ref>{{cite news|url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/12/fccs-ajit-pai-says-net-neutralitys-days-are-numbered-under-trump/|title=FCC's Ajit Pai says net neutrality's 'days are numbered' under Trump |first=Jon |last=Brodkin |date=December 8, 2016 |work=Ars Technica |language=en-us|access-date=April 6, 2018}}</ref> and was described by the ''New York Times'' as a stickler for strict application of telecommunications law and limits on the FCC's authority.
In a speech two weeks before the FCC's scheduled December 2017 vote on net neutrality, Pai was critical of celebrities including [[Cher]], [[Mark Ruffalo]], and [[Alyssa Milano]] for boosting opposition to the planned repeal. In response to criticism from Ruffalo, Pai said "Getting rid of government authority over the Internet is the exact opposite of authoritarianism. Government control is the defining feature of authoritarians, including the one in North Korea."<ref name=arstehnica>{{cite news|last=Brodkin|first=Josh|date=November 28, 2017|title=Ajit Pai blames Cher and Hulk actor for ginning up net neutrality support |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/11/ajit-pai-blames-cher-and-hulk-actor-for-ginning-up-net-neutrality-support/ |work=Ars Tecnica |access-date=April 6, 2018}}</ref> Pai said [[Twitter]] and other tech companies were hypocritical for arguing for a free and open internet while, according to Pai, such companies "routinely block or discriminate against content they don't like".<ref name=cnn>{{cite news|last=Fiegerman|first=Seth|date=November 28, 2017|title=Trump's FCC chairman accuses Twitter of silencing conservatives|url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/11/28/technology/ajit-pai-tech/index.html|work=CNN|access-date=April 6, 2018}}</ref><ref name=usat>{{cite news|last=Snider |first=Mike|date=November 22, 2017|title=FCC Chairman takes on net neutrality critics including Cher and Hulk |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2017/11/28/fcc-chairman-takes-net-neutrality-critics-including-cher-and-hulk/902512001/|work=USA Today |access-date=April 6, 2018}}</ref>
The day before the FCC's scheduled vote on net neutrality, Pai appeared in a video entitled "Ajit Pai Wants The Internet To Know You Can Still Harlem Shake After Net Neutrality".<ref name=examiner.pizzagate/> The controversial video showed him dancing to the "[[Harlem Shake (song)|Harlem Shake]]" and buying products online, including a toy [[lightsaber]]. In the video, Pai is shown dancing next to Martina Markota, a proponent of the [[Pizzagate conspiracy theory]] and a staff member at the [[Daily Caller]], the media outlet that produced the video. In response to the video, ''[[Star Wars]]'' actor [[Mark Hamill]] said Pai was "unworthy" of holding the [[Jedi]] weapon, as "a Jedi acts selflessly for the common man".<ref name=examiner.pizzagate>{{cite news|last=Mayfield|first=Mandy|date=December 14, 2017 |title=FCC chair Ajit Pai dances with 'Pizzagate' conspiracy theorist in promo video for net neutrality repeal|url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/fcc-chair-ajit-pai-dances-with-pizzagate-conspiracy-theorist-in-promo-video-for-net-neutrality-repeal/article/2643500|work=Washington Examiner|location=Washington DC |access-date=April 6, 2018}}</ref><ref name=examiner.video>{{cite news|last=Chatain|first=Daniel|date=December 13, 2017|title='Star Wars' actor Mark Hamill: FCC Chairman Ajit Pai 'unworthy' of wielding lightsaber|url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/star-wars-actor-mark-hamill-fcc-chairman-ajit-pai-unworthy-of-wielding-lightsaber/article/2643731|work=Washington Examiner|location=Washington DC|access-date=April 6, 2018}}</ref> [[Baauer]], the creator of the song featured in the video, threatened to take legal action against Pai alongside his [[Mad Decent|record label]] for Pai's use of the song in his video.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/dance/8070667/baauer-net-neutrality-fcc-harlem-shake|title=Baauer 'Taking Action' Against FCC Over 'Harlem Shake' Net Neutrality Repeal Video|last=Bein|first=Kat|date=December 14, 2017|magazine=Billboard|access-date=April 6, 2018}}</ref>
As chairman, he also closed an investigation into [[zero-rating]] practices by wireless providers [[T-Mobile US|T-Mobile]], [[AT&T Mobility|AT&T]], and [[Verizon Wireless|Verizon]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/05/technology/trumps-fcc-quickly-targets-net-neutrality-rules.html|title=Trump's F.C.C. Pick Quickly Targets Net Neutrality Rules|last=Kang|first=Cecilia|date=February 5, 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=April 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207095047/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/05/technology/trumps-fcc-quickly-targets-net-neutrality-rules.html|archive-date=February 7, 2017|url-status=live|url-access=limited}}{{Subscription required|date=September 2023}}</ref> On May 18, 2017, the Federal Communications Commission took the first formal step toward dismantling the net neutrality rules,<ref>{{cite news|last=Harding McGill|first=Margaret|date=May 18, 2017|title=FCC kicks off effort to roll back net neutrality rules |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/18/fcc-net-neutrality-rules-238529|work=Politico|access-date=April 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170518151403/http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/18/fcc-net-neutrality-rules-238529|archive-date=May 18, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> and on December 14, 2017, voted to reverse Title II regulations after a contentious [[public comment]] period.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/14/technology/net-neutrality-repeal-vote.html|title=F.C.C. Repeals Net Neutrality Rules|last=Kang|first=Cecilia|date=December 14, 2017|work=New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214181729/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/14/technology/net-neutrality-repeal-vote.html|archive-date=December 14, 2017|url-status=live|url-access=limited}}{{Subscription required|date=September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/14/16776154/fcc-net-neutrality-vote-results-rules-repealed |title=The FCC just killed net neutrality|author=Jacob Kastrenakes |date=December 14, 2017 |work=The Verge|access-date=April 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215000628/https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/14/16776154/fcc-net-neutrality-vote-results-rules-repealed|archive-date=December 15, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
In February 2018, the [[National Rifle Association of America]] (NRA) awarded Pai with the Charlton Heston Courage Under Fire Award for repealing net neutrality rules despite facing heavy public criticism.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Jon Brodkin |title=NRA gives Ajit Pai "courage award" and gun for "saving the Internet" |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/02/nra-gives-ajit-pai-courage-award-and-gun-for-saving-the-internet/ |access-date=14 September 2023 |work=[[Ars Technica]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast]] |date=February 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180223210318/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/02/nra-gives-ajit-pai-courage-award-and-gun-for-saving-the-internet/ |archive-date=February 23, 2018 |language=en-US |url-status=live}}</ref> As part of the award, a handmade Kentucky long gun was gifted to Pai. This gift caused former White House ethics attorney [[Walter Shaub]] to question if Pai, a federal employee, had violated ethics rules by accepting gifts from lobbyists such as the NRA.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sanchez |first=Luis|title=Shaub presses FCC chief over possible ethics violation with NRA gift|url=https://thehill.com/policy/technology/375537-shaub-presses-fcc-chief-on-possible-ethics-violation-over-nra-gift/|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=April 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180225233548/http://thehill.com/policy/technology/375537-shaub-presses-fcc-chief-on-possible-ethics-violation-over-nra-gift|archive-date=February 25, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=Colin Kalmbacher |title=Fmr White House Ethics Attorney: Ajit Pai's NRA-Gifted Gun Violates Ethics Rules |url=https://lawandcrime.com/administrative-law/fmr-white-house-ethics-attorney-ajit-pais-nra-gifted-gun-violates-ethics-rules/ |website=Law & Crime |publisher=LawNewz |access-date=14 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180225003633/https://lawandcrime.com/administrative-law/fmr-white-house-ethics-attorney-ajit-pais-nra-gifted-gun-violates-ethics-rules/ |archive-date=February 25, 2018 |language=en-US |date=February 24, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> Pai ultimately refused the gift.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Jon Brodkin |title=Ajit Pai won't get his gun—FCC chair rejects NRA award after ethics review |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/03/ajit-pai-wont-get-his-gun-fcc-chair-rejects-nra-award-after-ethics-review/ |access-date=14 September 2023 |work=[[Ars Technica]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast]] |date=March 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180302215015/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/03/ajit-pai-wont-get-his-gun-fcc-chair-rejects-nra-award-after-ethics-review/ |archive-date=March 2, 2018 |language=en-US |url-status=live}}</ref>
When the U.S. Senate voted by 52–47 "to put the Federal Communications Commission's net-neutrality rules back in place" in May 2018, Pai was said to be "upset", stating having no net neutrality rules "will help promote digital opportunity" while making "high-speed Internet access available to every single American". Regarding "Democrats' effort to reinstate heavy-handed government regulation of the Internet", Ajit Pai conceded it would fail in the House.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Brodkin|first1=Jon|title=ISPs and Ajit Pai are really sad about Senate's vote for net neutrality|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/05/isps-and-ajit-pai-are-really-sad-about-senates-vote-for-net-neutrality/|website=Ars Technica|date=May 17, 2018|access-date=May 23, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Wolverton|first1=Troy |last2=Perticone|first2=Joe|title=The US Senate votes in favor of restoring the FCC's net-neutrality rules|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/net-neutrality-senate-vote-cra-fcc-2018-5|website=Business Insider|access-date=May 23, 2018}}</ref>
During an investigation of fake comments in support and against net neutrality, Pai refused to hand over evidence or help New York's Attorney General in determining the scope of manipulation by ISPs of the public comment process.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kosoff |first=Maya|title=New York Attorney General Slams F.C.C. For Stonewalling Net-neutrality Investigation|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/11/new-york-attorney-general-slams-fcc-for-stonewalling-net-neutrality-investigation|work=[[Vanity Fair (newspaper)|Vanity Fair]]|access-date=May 2, 2021}}</ref>
=== Prison inmate telephone calling costs ===
Pai argued against<ref name="FCC_2013">{{cite web|title=FCC Bars High Rates for Long Distance Phone Calls in Jails and Prisons Nationwide: Reforms Bring Relief to Millions of Families By Reducing the Cost of Interstate Long-Distance Calls |url=https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-322749A1.pdf |publisher=Federal Communications Commission News|date=August 9, 2013 |editor-first=Mark |editor-last=Wigfield|access-date=February 5, 2017}}</ref> adoption of the FCC 2013 analysis<ref name="FCC_2013_ICS_analysis">{{cite web |url=https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-13-113A1.pdf |title=Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking |publisher=Federal Communications Commission|date=August 9, 2013 |access-date=February 5, 2017}}</ref> and proposed rulemaking regarding the high cost of inmate telephone calls, referred to as [[Inmate Calling Service]] (ICS) by the FCC. He submitted his written dissent in which he argued that the nature of the exclusive single carrier contract between private ICS providers and prison administrators meant inmates cannot "count on market competition to keep prices for inmate calling services just and reasonable".<ref name="Pai_2013_FCC_dissent">{{cite web |title=Dissenting Statement of Commissioner Ajit Pai as Delivered at the August 9, 2013 Open Agenda Meeting |url=http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2013/db0809/DOC-322749A4.pdf|publisher=FCC|date=August 9, 2013 |access-date=February 5, 2017 |pages=3}}</ref> (ICS has become a $1.2 billion telecommunications industry and the two largest providers in the United States were private equity-backed companies.)<ref name="Williams">{{cite web| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/31/us/steep-costs-of-inmate-phone-calls-are-under-scrutiny.html?_r=0 | title=The High Cost of Calling the Imprisoned | first=Timothy |last=Williams | date=March 30, 2015 | work=New York Times | access-date=June 22, 2016}}</ref><ref name="private_equity">{{cite news |url=https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2012/feb/15/private-equity-firms-profit-handsomely-from-prison-phone-services/ |title=Private Equity Firms Profit Handsomely from Prison Phone Services |date=February 15, 2012 |access-date=February 5, 2017 |work=Prison Legal News}}</ref>{{rp|23}} Prior to the FCC's imposition of rate caps on interstate prison and jail phone calls in February 2014, the largest ICS provider [[Global Tel-Link]] (GTL) – which has been profitably bought and sold by private equity firms such as [[American Securities]] and [[Veritas Capital]] – charged some of the highest rates in the US – up to $17.30 for a 15-minute call.<ref name="Dezember">{{cite news| url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304626304579507832617352424?cb=logged0.34201950619971133 |title=American Securities Puts Prison-Phone Operator GTL on Block |first=Ryan |last=Dezember|date=April 17, 2014 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=June 22, 2016}}</ref> The 2013 FCC analysis<ref name="FCC_2013_ICS_analysis" /> described how, in some cases, long-distance calls are charged six times the rate on the outside.<ref name="FCC_2013" />
Acting Chairwoman Clyburn concurred with her order and both [[Jessica Rosenworcel]] and Pai dissented and issued statements. Pai opposed the FCC imposition of "safe harbor" of 12 cents with a cap of 21 cents on private ICS providers like GTL and [[CenturyLink]] Public Communications, arguing instead for a "simple proposal to cap interstate rates, with one rate for jails and a lower rate for prisons" that are cost-based to protect providers and ensure "some return on investment". Pai also argued that the FCC was not well equipped to micromanage rates at each and every prison.<ref name="Pai_2013_FCC_dissent" /><ref>{{cite news|last1=Sasso |first1=Brendan |title=FCC limits price of prison phone calls|url=https://thehill.com/policy/technology/158863-fcc-limits-price-of-prison-phone-calls/|work=The Hill |date=August 9, 2013}}</ref>
In 2015, Pai opposed rate caps on intrastate inmate calls over which courts have ruled the FCC has no jurisdiction,<ref name="Verge_2015_FCC_ICS">{{cite news |last1=Lecher|first1=Colin|title=The FCC can't cap the cost of in-state prison phone calls, court rules|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/13/15793550/fcc-prison-phone-calls-cap-court-decision/|work=The Verge|date=June 13, 2017}}</ref> notwithstanding rates as high as $14 per minute.<ref name="WP_2015_Pai_ICS">{{cite news |last1=Fung|first1=Brian|title=Calling a prison inmate can cost $54 a pop. The FCC thinks that's way too high.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/10/22/calling-a-prison-inmate-can-cost-54-a-pop-the-fcc-thinks-thats-way-too-high/|newspaper=Washington Post|date=October 22, 2015}}</ref> He raised concerns about the increased use of contraband cell phones in prisons.
In November 2016, the ICS providers won a halt on the regulation rules. Pai criticized Democrats for appealing.<ref name="arstechnica_2016_Pai_FCC_ICS">{{cite news |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/11/prison-phone-company-wins-halt-to-inmate-calling-price-caps/ |title=Court blocks FCC attempt to cap prison phone rates: Rate caps of 13¢ to 31¢ per minute stayed pending court review |first=Jon |last=Brodkin |date=November 4, 2016 |access-date=February 5, 2017 |work=Ars Technica}}</ref> Shortly after his January 23 confirmation as chairman, Pai withdrew support for the FCC case involving GTL and CenturyLink set for February 6, 2017, which had called for establishing FCC jurisdiction over rates set by states.<ref name="NYT_trump_fcc_net_neutrality" /><ref name="law360_2017">{{citation |title=Inmate Call Case Stays On Track Amid Looming FCC Changes |url=https://www.law360.com/articles/882621/inmate-call-case-stays-on-track-amid-looming-fcc-changes |date=January 19, 2017 |access-date=February 5, 2017 |first=Jenna |last=Ebersole |location=Washington |work=Law360}}</ref> In June 2017, the US Court of Appeals struck down a large part of the FCC's ICS order.<ref name="USCA201706">{{cite web |url=https://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/opinions.nsf/C62A026B396DD4C78525813E004F3BC5/$file/15-1461-1679364.pdf|title=Global Tel*Link v. FCC No 15-1461 Opinion|author=US Court of Appeals For the District of Columbia Circuit|access-date=December 14, 2017|date=June 13, 2017}}</ref>
=== Lifeline program ===
In 2016, Pai called for an investigation of potential fraud among beneficiaries of the agency's [[Universal Service Fund#Low income (Lifeline)|Lifeline]] subsidy for telecommunication services, contending that "apparent duplicates" who had signed up for the program improperly received $476 million annually.<ref name="washingtonexaminer_Pai_2016">{{Cite news|url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/ajit-pai-fraud-from-obamaphone-program-reaching-500-million/article/2593375 |title=Commissioner says fraud from Obamaphone program approaching $500 million|newspaper=[[Washington Examiner]]|first=Rudy|last=Takala|author-link=Rudy Takala |date=June 8, 2016}}</ref> He rescinded permissions for nine new broadband providers selected by the previous FCC to participate in the program (along with more than 900 others) after becoming agency chairman, stating the new providers had not followed FCC guidelines requiring them to coordinate with the National Tribal Telecommunications Association in order to participate in the Lifeline program. Pai argued the rules had been improperly circumvented by the previous Democratic chairman, former lobbyist [[Tom Wheeler]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/@AjitPaiFCC/setting-the-record-straight-on-the-digital-divide-615a9da1f2d1#.37qt7pawt|date=February 7, 2017|title=Setting the Record Straight on the Digital Divide|last=Pai|first=Ajit|work=Medium}}</ref>
===Sinclair Broadcast Group===
In November 2017, two Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives, [[John Conyers]] ([[Michigan]]) and [[David Cicilline]] ([[Rhode Island]]), asked David L. Hunt, the inspector general of the FCC, to investigate whether Pai's legislative actions regarding the relaxation of broadcast ownership rules were biased in favor of [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]], a large owner of broadcast television stations that, since the formation of its now-defunct ''[[News Central (American TV program)|News Central]]'' format in 2003, produces conservative news and commentary segments that the group requires its stations to insert into certain local newscasts. The FCC, under Pai, undertook a number of actions that the legislators believe would benefit Sinclair – which has lobbied for such changes for several years – including rolling back certain broadcast television station ownership limitations (including allowing exceptions to duopoly rules that forbid common ownership of two television stations in the same market if both are among the four highest-rated or if such a combination would dilute independent media voices, reinstating a 1985 discount quota on UHF stations repealed two years earlier by Wheeler and his Democratic-led majority, a requirement dating to the FCC's inception for broadcast outlets to maintain office operations within the community of their primary local coverage areas, and removing ownership attribution rules applying to [[local marketing agreement|joint sales and shared services agreements]]).<ref>{{cite news|title=F.C.C. Opens Door to More Consolidation in TV Business |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/16/business/media/fcc-local-tv.html|author=Cecilia Kang|newspaper=The New York Times |date=November 16, 2017|access-date=November 20, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Senators Seek Investigation of FCC Review of Sinclair-Tribune Merger |url=https://variety.com/2017/biz/news/fcc-sinclair-tribune-merger-investigation-1202615791/|first=Ted |last=Johnson|periodical=Variety|publisher=Penske Media Corporation|date=November 15, 2017|access-date=November 20, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/biz/news/fcc-main-studio-rule-ajit-pai-sinclair-1202597651/|title=FCC Eliminates Rule That Required Stations to Have a Main Studio in Local Coverage Area|last=Johnson|first=Ted|work=Variety|date=October 24, 2017 |access-date=October 24, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/10/24/the-fcc-just-ended-a-decades-old-rule-designed-to-keep-tv-and-radio-under-local-control/|title=The FCC just ended a decades-old rule designed to keep TV and radio under local control|last=Fung|first=Brian |newspaper=The Washington Post|date=October 24, 2017|access-date=October 24, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/2017/10/24/broadcasters-no-longer-need-a-local-studio-as-fcc-changes-rule|title=Broadcasters No Longer Need a Local Studio as FCC Changes Rule|last=Shields|first=Todd |work=Bloomberg |date=October 24, 2017|access-date=October 24, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/10/fcc-set-to-vote-on-ending-main-studio-rule-in-boost-to-sinclair-1202193716/|title=FCC Votes To End 77-Year-Old 'Main Studio Rule' In Boost To Sinclair|last=Hayes|first=Dade|work=Deadline Hollywood|date=October 24, 2017 |access-date=October 24, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-fcc-local-tv-radio-control-20171024-story.html|title=FCC ends decades-old rule designed to keep TV and radio under local control|last=Fung|first=Brian|work=Chicago Tribune|date=October 24, 2017|access-date=October 24, 2017}}</ref> A spokeswoman for Pai said "the request appears to be part of many Democrats' attempt to target one particular company because of its perceived political views&nbsp;... Any claim that Chairman Pai is modifying the rules now to benefit one particular company is completely baseless."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Shepardson |first1=David|title=House Democrats seek probe of FCC chairman's treatment of Sinclair|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tribune-media-m-a-sinclair-ma/house-democrats-seek-probe-of-fcc-chairmans-treatment-of-sinclair-idUSKBN1DD2HP|access-date=November 17, 2017|work=Reuters|date=November 13, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Brodkin|first1=Jon|title=Lawmakers demand investigation into FCC Chairman Ajit Pai|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/11/lawmakers-demand-investigation-into-fcc-chairman-ajit-pai/|access-date=November 17, 2017|website=Ars Technica|date=November 13, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=FCC Vote Advances Big Media. Will It Harm Diversity?|url=https://journalisms.theroot.com/fcc-vote-advances-big-media-harms-diversity-1820585938|first=Richard |last=Prince|website=[[The Root (magazine)|The Root]]|publisher=[[Univision Communications]]|date=November 19, 2017|access-date=November 20, 2017}}</ref>
From late 2017, the FCC inspector general's office investigated Pai regarding the proposed Sinclair-Tribune merger; this was made publicly known in February 2018.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kang |first1=Cecilia |title=F.C.C. Watchdog Looks Into Changes That Benefited Sinclair |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/15/technology/fcc-sinclair-ajit-pai.html |access-date=January 23, 2021 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180216233022/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/15/technology/fcc-sinclair-ajit-pai.html |archive-date=February 16, 2018}}</ref> The office concluded in August 2018 that it "found no evidence, nor even the suggestion, of impropriety, unscrupulous behavior, favoritism towards Sinclair, or lack of impartiality". The office also concluded that Pai's decisions regarding Sinclair were consistent with policy positions he had previously endorsed in public.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kang |first1=Cecilia |title=F.C.C. Investigation Clears Chairman in Sinclair Inquiry |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/27/business/fcc-clears-pai-sinclair.html |access-date=January 23, 2021 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 27, 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210123010819/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/27/business/fcc-clears-pai-sinclair.html |archive-date=January 23, 2021}}</ref>
In July 2018, the FCC under Pai ordered that the proposed Sinclair-Tribune merger be subject to administrative law judge hearings, due to allegations that Sinclair was planning to illegally retain control of stations it was divesting from. For this action, the FCC was criticized by President Trump, who said he wanted a merged company providing a "conservative voice".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gold |first1=Hadas |title=Trump slams his own administration's actions on Sinclair-Tribune deal |url=https://money.cnn.com/2018/07/25/media/trump-tweet-sinclair-tribune-fcc/index.html |access-date=January 24, 2021 |work=[[CNN]] |date=July 25, 2018}}</ref> In August 2018, Tribune broke off the merger.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gold |first1=Hadas |last2=Riley |first2=Charles |title=Tribune calls off $3.9 billion Sinclair media deal |url=https://money.cnn.com/2018/08/09/media/tribune-sinclair/index.html |access-date=January 24, 2021 |work=[[CNN]] |date=August 9, 2018}}</ref>
In May 2020, the FCC under Pai reached an agreement for Sinclair to pay a record FCC fine of $48 million for deceptive practices, in return for ending three FCC investigations into the company. FCC Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks argued against the agreement, as they wanted the investigations to be fully completed and made public.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Folkenfilk |first1=David |title=FCC Fines Sinclair Record $48 Million For Deceptive Bid For Tribune Stations |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/05/07/851783937/fcc-fines-sinclair-record-48-million-for-deceptive-bid-for-tribune-stations |access-date=January 24, 2021 |work=[[NPR]] |date=May 7, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Littleton |first1=Cynthia |title=FCC Commissioners Blast Sinclair Settlement as 'Abdication of Responsibility' |url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/sinclair-fcc-48-million-fine-consent-decree-1234614529/ |access-date=January 24, 2021 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=May 22, 2020}}</ref>
=== L-band 5G networking ===
On April 16, 2020, Pai asked the other FCC commissioners to approve an application to "deploy a low-power terrestrial nationwide network in the L-Band that would primarily support 5G and Internet of Things services",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fcc.gov/document/chairman-pai-circulates-draft-order-approve-ligados-application|title=Chairman Pai Circulates Draft Order To Approve Ligado's Application|date=April 16, 2020|website=Federal Communications Commission|language=en|access-date=April 18, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/04/fcc-to-approve-5g-network-despite-military-saying-it-will-harm-gps/|title=FCC to approve 5G network despite military saying it will harm GPS|last=Brodkin|first=Jon|date=April 16, 2020|work=Ars Technica|language=en-us|access-date=April 18, 2020}}</ref> in spite of a report issued by the [[United States Department of Defense|DoD]] raising concerns about the potential impact it could have on the operational capabilities of the US military, specifically with regard to [[Global Positioning System|GPS]] coverage.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/11/dod-joins-fight-against-5g-spectrum-proposal-citing-risks-to-gps/|title=DOD joins fight against 5G spectrum proposal, citing risks to GPS|last=Gallagher|first=Sean|date=November 22, 2019|work=Ars Technica|language=en-us|access-date=April 18, 2020}}</ref>
=== Section 230 ===
On October 15, 2020, Pai released an official statement pledging that he would clarify [[Section 230]], a portion of the [[Communications Decency Act]] that provides immunity for website publishers of third-party content. President [[Donald Trump]] had previously threatened to punish [[Facebook]] and [[Twitter]] for alleged anti-conservative bias after the companies blocked a series of ''[[New York Post]]'' stories about the [[Hunter Biden email controversy]]. Under Section 230, social media companies are granted [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]] rights, but are legally distinct from press publications.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Brodkin|first=Jon|date=2020-10-15|title=Ajit Pai says he'll help Trump impose crackdown on Twitter and Facebook|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/10/ajit-pai-says-hell-help-trump-impose-crackdown-on-twitter-and-facebook/|access-date=2020-10-16|work=Ars Technica|language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Kelly|first=Makena|date=2020-10-15|title=FCC will move to regulate social media after censorship outcry|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/15/21518097/fcc-social-media-censorship-moderation-ajit-pai-section-230-nypost-biden|access-date=2020-10-16|work=The Verge|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=McFall|first=Caitlin|date=2020-10-15|title=FCC chairman proceeds with rulemaking to clarify Section 230 relating to social media companies|url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/fcc-chairman-proceeds-with-rulemaking-to-clarify-section-230-relating-to-social-media-companies|access-date=2020-10-16|work=FOX Business|language=en-US}}</ref>
== Personal life ==
In 2010, Pai married Janine Van Lancker, a physician and [[allergist]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Ellen |last=McCarthy |title=Wedding: Janine Van Lancker and Ajit Pai|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/23/AR2010072303686.html |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=July 25, 2010}}</ref> They have two children.<ref name=Bio /><ref name=Senate_hearing /><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://heavy.com/news/2017/11/ajit-pai-wife-janine-van-lancker-net-neutrality-fcc/|title=Janine Van Lancker, Ajit Pai's Wife: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know|last=Bucher|first=Chris|date=November 22, 2017|work=[[Heavy.com]]|access-date=December 18, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2017, Pai publicly complained that net neutrality protesters had targeted his family. Messages directed at his children were put up near his suburban Virginia home saying that "They will come to know the truth. Dad murdered Democracy in cold blood" and "How will they ever look you in the eye again?"<ref name=slateprotest>{{cite news |last=Glaser |first=April |date=November 27, 2017 |title=Racist, Threatening Attacks on FCC Chair Ajit Pai Won't Save Net Neutrality |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2017/11/27/racist_threatening_attacks_on_fcc_chair_ajit_pai_won_t_save_net_neutrality.html|work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|access-date=November 27, 2017 }}</ref><ref name=wpfamily>{{cite news |last=Shaban |first=Hamza |date=November 27, 2017 |title=FCC chairman Ajit Pai says his children are being harassed over net neutrality |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/11/27/fcc-chairman-ajit-pai-says-his-children-are-being-harassed-over-net-neutrality/ |newspaper=Washington Post|location=Washington, DC |access-date=November 27, 2017 }}</ref> No group took responsibility for the provocative signs, although the advocacy organization Popular Resistance left flyers on Pai's neighbors' doors that included his picture, age, and weight as part of a campaign they called "Ajit-ation".<ref name=slateprotest/><ref name=examinerprotests>{{cite news |last=Chaitan |first=Daniel |date=May 20, 2017 |title='Net neutrality' activists taking photos of the inside of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's home: Report |url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/net-neutrality-activists-taking-photos-of-the-inside-of-fcc-chairman-ajit-pais-home-report/article/2623714 |work=[[Washington Examiner]] |access-date=May 20, 2017 }}</ref><ref name=popresistance>{{cite web |author=John Zangas and Anne Meador |date=May 7, 2017 |title=Net Neutrality Activists Take on New FCC Chairman |url=https://popularresistance.org/net-neutrality-activists-take-on-new-fcc-chairman/ |work=Popular Resistance |access-date=May 7, 2017 }}</ref>
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* [https://www.fcc.gov/about/leadership/ajit-pai Biography at FCC]
* {{C-SPAN|64062}}
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{{s-bef|before=[[Tom Wheeler]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of chairmen of the Federal Communications Commission|Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission]]|years=2017–2021}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Jessica Rosenworcel]]<br>Acting}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pai, Ajit V.}}
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American politicians of Indian descent]]
[[Category:Chairmen of the Federal Communications Commission]]
[[Category:Harvard University alumni]]
[[Category:Konkani people]]
[[Category:Lawyers from Buffalo, New York]]
[[Category:Lawyers from Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Members of the Federal Communications Commission]]
[[Category:Obama administration personnel]]
[[Category:People associated with Jenner & Block]]
[[Category:People from Parsons, Kansas]]
[[Category:Politicians from Buffalo, New York]]
[[Category:First Trump administration personnel]]
[[Category:Virginia Republicans]]
[[Category:Asian conservatism in the United States]]