For those who don't know, "Astroturf" is the euphemism for fake grassroots campaigns that are actually run by big-money companies. You see a lot of this in the net neutrality and telecom sectors in particular--don't we, Mike McCurry?

Anyway, I received an Internet this morning from the beguilingly-named "Ailis Wolf," telling me about her new petition to stop the fake fees Verizon is charging its customers. I was all over it, especially because they quoted one of our articles.

But there was something familiar about that name...I did a little Googling, and found a reference to an "Ailis Aaron Wolf" commenting on the Verizon fee issue over at Caroline Mayer's blog. It turns out that Ailis Aaron Wolf is also affiliated with the Keep USF Fair coalition, which supports continuing the current method of USF collection, ostensibly for the stated purpose of making sure that money gets spent right.

My colleague Joe Benton also reported that Wolf was spokesperson for the Hybrid Owners of America, a lobby group designed to speak for--you guessed it--the rights of hybrid owners everywhere.

But who was this mysterious "Hastings Group?" A little more checking didn't yield an active Web site, but according to the PRSA, they're a "Web services" firm based in Arlington, VA.

So it seems that the anti-Verizon fee group is another product of Hastings, who seem to be in the business of PR and Web services for progressive--or at least, public service--groups. No doubt this "petition" comes in the wake of Verizon successfully getting out of paying into the USF, but then imposing its own fake fee which almost completely matches its predecessor.

Does this make the campaign invalid? That's a pure opinion call. I think it's essential for anyone who signs a petition or joins a group to vet it thoroughly and find out who works with what before putting your John Hancock down on the line. Astroturfers that don't disclose who supports them and what they're really about should be much more suspect than those who come clean and say "Yeah, we're a marketing firm that is designing the campaign for these guys."

On the other hand, in an age when big business can have an army of paid flacks whip up a Web site with talking points and contact info faster than Ewan McGregor gets naked in movies, any firm or group that's supporting the little guy should be given the benefit of the doubt.

It comes down to what you consider ethical, and what you support. I'm willing to give Wolf and the Hastings Group a pass, because it seems that they're on the side of the good guys. But I remain skeptical of any "grassroots" campaign that appears out of nowhere and has nothing to substantiate itself.

After all, for all you know, we could be fronts for Verizon ourselves. MWOOOAHAHHAHAAHHA!!!!!!

Crossposted at Private Intelligence.