DHS Tackles Fake News, Raising Questions About Political Bias
Skeptics worry that the inherently subjective nature of what constitutes disinformation provides a broad opening for Department of Homeland Security officials to make politically motivated determinations and enforcement.
Landwebs
Despite its controversial past, DHS has announced a new “Disinformation Governance Board” to police misinformation (false information spread unintentionally), disinformation (false information spread intentionally), and malinformation (factual information shared, typically out of context, with harmful intent) that allegedly threatens U.S. interests, report Ken Klippenstein and Lee Fang for The Intercept.
Discussions around the board have ranged from the scale and scope of government intervention in online discourse to the mechanics of streamlining takedown requests for false or intentionally misleading information. The department plans to target “inaccurate information” on a wide range of topics, including “the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, racial justice, U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the nature of U.S. support to Ukraine.” Skeptics worry that the inherently subjective nature of what constitutes disinformation provides a broad opening for DHS officials to make politically motivated determinations about what constitutes dangerous speech. DHS views the issue of tackling disinformation and misinformation as a growing portion of its core duties.
