(BLP) – On Thursday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki defended the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) latest effort to combat “disinformation” related to COVID-19 and elections.
Now regarded as the “Disinformation Governance Board,” the Biden administration is seeking to combat online disinformation – whatever that means anymore.
According to Psaki, the goal of the DHS is to “counter foreign malicious actors” who are attempting to “sow discord” and undermine confidence in U.S. institutions like the CDC and FDA.
The spokesperson also said that the Biden administration is committed to “disseminating accurate information” and that they will continue to use social media to do so.
The board will be composed of representatives from social media companies, government agencies, and nongovernmental organizations.
Its purpose is to “coordinate a whole-of-government response to foreign disinformation campaigns targeting the United States,” according to a DHS press release.
It’s worth noting that Musk has called these efforts “discomforting.”
This latest move by the White House has been met with criticism from those who see it as an attempt to control the narrative around COVID-19 and elections.
Especially considering the original announcement was made just hours after Twitter accepted Elon Musk’s buyout bid for the social media platform.
Psaki says the Biden administration would support "reforming Section 230, enacting anti-trust reforms," and "requiring more transparency" on social media in order to combat COVID-19 misinformation pic.twitter.com/XxdpQwPGLs
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) April 25, 2022
Critics also argue that the board will only serve to stifle free speech.
But Psaki pushed back on that notion, saying that the board is not about “suppressing anyone’s speech.”
“This is about countering foreign disinformation,” she said. “This is not about domestic political debates.”
What remains to be seen is how effective this board will be in combating disinformation. And given the fact that the term itself is so vague, it’s hard to say what exactly the board will be tasked with fighting against.
But if the past is any indication, we can expect this board to be yet another tool for the government to control the narrative and shape public opinion.
In addition to this new board, it has been reported that Senate Democrats are considering calling on Elon Musk to testify on his recent Twitter purchase.
Per Sen. Ed Markey to Bloomberg, “[Twitter is] central to democracy and our economy.”
“We have to understand the censorship or lack thereof, content moderation or not, that is going to be the policy for the new owner,” Markey continued.
Both of these moves feel like last-ditch attempts for Democrats to retaliate in the wake of losing control of Twitter. Or what many have dubbed, “the modern public square.”
While Republicans applaud the deal, Democrats spiral into a frenzy over Musk’s attempts of transforming Twitter into a platform where free speech prevails.
The extreme antibody reaction from those who fear free speech says it all
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 26, 2022
Sen. Elizabeth Warren has already sounded alarms about this, demanding “new rules” to govern “unregulated” social media.
Of course, what Warren really wants is more government control.
bigleaguepolitics.com/wh-doubles-down-on-orwellian-disinformation-board/