Free speech is in a free fall as millions embrace censorship as a political cause, including some now running for federal office on a pledge to silence others. One of the most alarming aspects of this period has been the emergence of a type of triumvirate of censorship, an alliance of government, academic, and media corporations. Together they have established the most comprehensive censorship system in the history of this country.
That system is being forced out into the public by the investigation of House committees. This week the House Judiciary Committee released a 103-page staff report on the academic prong of the triumvirate. What is most chilling about this report is that it adds yet another layer of government-supported speech controls. It also reflects a conscious and coordinated effort to carry out censorship through allies in a labyrinth of academic and public interest groups.
Earlier this year, I testified at the first hearing by the special committee investigating the censorship system. I warned that there was ample evidence of a system based on “censorship by surrogate” where government agencies used academic and media allies to silence those with opposing views.
The latest report reveals details of the critical role played by government officials in “switchboarding” the censorship system by channeling demands for removal or bans from state and local officials. In addition to the direct targeting of individuals by federal agencies, switchboarding allowed the agencies to operate as a control tower in this sprawling system.
This switchboarding system was confirmed by Brian Scully of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in the Department of Homeland Security. CISA has emerged as one of the critical control centers in this system.
CISA head Jen Easterly declared that her agency’s mandate over critical infrastructure would be extended to include “our cognitive infrastructure.” That includes not just “disinformation” and “misinformation,”
but combating “malinformation” – described as information “based on fact, but used out of context to mislead, harm, or manipulate.”
Despite the determined opposition by Democratic members and the Biden Administration, the investigation has revealed a wide array of grants to academic and third party organizations to create blacklists or to pressure advertisers to withdraw support for conservative sites. The subjects for censorship ranged from election fraud to social justice to climate change.
The Election Integrity Partnership (EIP) was created in partnership with Stanford University “at the request of DHS/CISA.” It is described as a “consortium of ‘disinformation’ academics led by Stanford University’s Stanford Internet Observatory (SIO).
EIP supplied a “centralized reporting system” to process what were known as “Jira tickets” targeting unacceptable views. It would include not only politicians but commentators and pundits as well as the satirical site The Babylon Bee.
Some of us have previously criticized Stanford for its effort to systematize and expand censorship. Stanford’s Virality Project pushed to censor even true facts since “true stories … could fuel hesitancy” over taking the vaccine or other measures.
In newly released emails, the secret coordination with federal agencies was made public, including a July 31, 2020 email from the director at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, an EIP partner.
Graham Brookie, the lab’s senior director, confirmed that her group “just set up an election integrity partnership at the request of DHS/CISA and are in weekly comms to debrief about disinfo.”
During this time many of us in the free speech community were raising the alarm over the evidence of a government-supported censorship system, including the use of surrogates in academia. As noted in emails in May 2020, government officials were privately saying that they need to avoid any move that would “openly endorse” censorship while funding these groups and switchboarding the system.
As officials served as the conduit, it continued to attach a standard disclaimer that CISA “neither has nor seeks the ability to remove what information is made available on social media platforms.”
Notably, EIP worked not only with CISA, but with the Global Engagement Center, a multi-agency entity housed within the State Department. It was the Global Engagement Center that contracted with the Atlantic Council, which sent suggested blacklists to Twitter. It got to be so reckless that Yoel Roth, then Twitter’s head of trust and safety, responded “omg” and “what a total crock.”
This system rests on grants coming from Homeland Security, the Justice Department, the State Department, and other agencies. That system included scoring groups through a grant from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) to the British-based Global Disinformation Index (GDI). The index targeted ten conservative and libertarian sites as the most dangerous sources of disinformation, including sites like Reason which publishes conservative legal analysis. Conversely, some of the most liberal sites were ranked as the most trustworthy for advertisers.
The report on switchboarding is most chilling when placed within this larger context. The Biden Administration has funded a global effort to score, target, and ban opposing views through an ever-increasing array of allied groups in academia and corporations. A federal court recently enjoined aspects of that system after finding that it is an unprecedented censorship system that effectively created a type of “Orwellian Ministry of Truth.”
The solution is as obvious as the danger itself. Congress must bar any funding — directly or indirectly — for censorship systems. Calling opposing views “disinformation” does not alter the fact that there is a comprehensive censorship system using groups allied with the government. Federal agencies are always able to respond to claims that they deem are untrue about their own policies and programs. However, we need to get the government out of the business of speech controls, including shutting down the censorship switchboard.
Anyone with 2 brain cells has either known or suspected what the socialist (prog/left) party has been doing since far back when old Tail Gunner Joe was making lists. He was an even worse messenger than Trump about the “fundamental transformation” that had been afoot since Woodrow Wilson coddled the hordes of socialist intellectuals and ensconced them throughout our society of academia and media in an ever to tacit manner. To blame this on obama or biden, singularly, would be an error since obama was nurtured on this idea from early life simply because people like Bill Ayers were already well situated to continue that slow march to communism. I am not sure what utopian name to apply to the mess that is currently motivating these jihadi-like fanatics but they work with the same stealth as hamas building tunnels or Isis training to fly planes into buildings. To just notice what has happened between the media/education industry and our bureaucracy is admitting that we, most of us, were not paying attention to the slow modulations of culture until now, when it may be too late to effect a change by the soap box, the jury box, or the ballot box since all three appear to have been corrupted beyond repair by ordinary means.
Today is Veterans Day (observed), Thank a Veteran they give all for our ability to speak freely on this blog.
Thank-you!
Thank you Margot!
I do believe that most Americans would give up their freedom for perceived safety. In that case, they will have neither.
“Disinformation Academics” ??? Seriously ??? Talk about a little Projection !!! Only the hard woke left Democratic party would be delusional enough to dream up that title. Welcome to communist Amerika folks, brought to you by Joe Biden, his little communist handlers, and the World Economic Forum.
Intelligent people are worried about this. To neurotic college educated single women, it is abortion uber alles.
“House Republicans Help Dems Preserve ‘Kill Switch’ Mandate That Could Shut Down Your Car”.
So who exactly is watching out for our freedoms and privacy? It’s getting harder and harder to identify the players.
Although not a Trump fan. If you are having your constitutional rights violated, the U.S. Department of Justice won’t help you and won’t protect you – you need to go to court.
There is free legal counsel from organizations like Institute for Justice, Electronic Frontier Foundation and Pacific Legal Foundation. At minimum you can make these issues known to these constitutional law firms.
DOJ will obstruct Justice and allow evidence to be lost. Nothing will happen for 20 years if you trust DOJ.
You just clarified what the letters DOJ now stand for: Department Obstructing Justice
I would go further. If anyone in the Federal government is engaged in censorship or is managing a civilian contractor who is practicing censorship, then that Federal employee should be fired. The only real question is whether fines or criminal prosecution should follow termination. I think Trump’s idea of making it easier to fire government employees should be in instituted and censorship should be one of the reasons for termination. He was thinking more about the civil servants that try to also undermine policy of the presiding administration by pursuing their own agenda. Can you imagine the cost savings if these censorship programs were ended and the contracts ended, and colleges had to survive without federal money. And if all federal employees were on board the team of the elected administration and following policy (as long as it was legal). A lot less federal employees, maybe even a balanced budget, and real service by your government, dedicated to fulfilling the directions of the constitution, instead of trying to subvert it. We might have our real democracy back.
Right now this is a partisan issue but I have no doubt either party could engage in “truth management” so we needed sweeping legislation to end this, maybe even with independent agents monitoring it. I don’t envision inspector generals doing this because this has all grown up around them in the Federal Government with hardly a peep.
As an example, Lt Col Alexander Vindman was pushing his own policy and not the president’s policy. He was, in fact, practicing mutiny and should have been charged for that act and cashiered from the service and not given the protections of a whistleblower. Being a military officer he usurped the chain of command, and he was not any Billy Mitchell.
Some good points, but here is another topic for Professor to tackle:
Presidents and agency leaders that only hire “Yes Men” and fire truth-tellers. This terrible practice literally costs lives of U.S. troops and citizens.
Even if Trump “voters” have some valid points, a president that supports unconstitutional-authoritarianism (believing Americans elect a dictator every 4 years) is not the right leader to promote the issues of Trump voters. Trump himself is the wrong guy.
In Trump’s case of hiring “Yes Men” and firing truth-tellers, Trump actually manufactures his own plausible deniability.
You produce a lot of hot air. Why not occasionally add your best evidence so we can see what you are talking about.
Hot air is about all we get from the left.
S. Meyer,
I would add delusions and an alternative reality.
Case in point: Biden DHS Head Claims There Is “No Disaster” At The Border
https://summit.news/2023/11/09/video-biden-dhs-head-claims-there-is-no-disaster-at-the-border/
Far from border, Americans victimized by violent crimes committed by illegals aliens
https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/far-border-americans-victims-violent-crimes-committed-illegal-border
GEB,
Great comment and well said.
Malinformation? What a lovely word. Controlling the ideas we are allowed to hear. A true recipe for manipulation and elimination of criticism. We need a new ACLU with the ideals of the old. Gone is the philosophy of, “ I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”. It is time to put our money and our time where our mouths and minds should be.
It is now crystal clear that the DHS/CISA must be disband and reorganized with a clear mission statement that defines with criminal penalty the mission of protecting the homeland from all foreign threats not covered by the DoD mission!!! The use of the DHS as an enforcement agency against Americans must be removed and any violation of Federal or State law by any member of the DHS (to include violations of the Constitution) must be punishable by severe monetary and/or prison sentences.
Although there are mostly great federal employees that work at the U.S. Department of Justice, this agency is in dire need of reforms.
Government driven “censorship” is a federal crime under Title 18 US Code 245 and other civil rights statutes – federal laws designed to enforce constitutional rights.
Maybe the great people at DOJ need to be part of the Legislative Branch or better yet part of the Judicial Branch?
At least on constitutional issues, like censoring our First Amendment right, the top duty of DOJ is to enforce “constitutional judicial review”. Not an Executive Branch function (to execute laws) but closer to a Judicial Branch function – to police the political branches of government.
Also it’s name DOJ is misleading (even Orwellian). DOJ should be named the Attorney General’s Office or Prosecutor’s Office. This false labeling has had severe consequences.
When more than 40,000 innocent Americans were illegally blacklisted after 9/11 (harmed for life), most of these innocent Americans (not being lawyers) went to DOJ for protection from Bush’s illegal practices assuming the Department of Justice would protect them. Misled by the term “Justice” in their name.
DOJ instead actually obstructed Justice for these innocent Americans. When these innocent plaintiffs pursued federal court relief as plaintiffs, a “team” of taxpayer financed DOJ attorneys were their opponents (not protectors) in federal court.
Following 9/11, you literally had defenseless citizens in court as pro se plaintiffs (representing themselves) against a team of DOJ attorneys that attended the best law schools in America. These DOJ attorneys swore to uphold that citizen’s constitutional rights. They instead committed legal malpractice by supporting torture, blacklisting and other cruel treatment (felony crimes under Ronald Reagan’s torture treaty).
None were indicted, none were even disbarred from practicing law – most were promoted! One is even a federal judge standing in judgement of defendants more law abiding than he was. DOJ needs major, major, major reforms!
“The solution is as obvious as the danger itself. Congress must bar any funding — directly or indirectly — for censorship systems.”
And therein lies the rub. Not only do Democrats follow in absolute lockstep with this scheme, so too do not a few Republicans. Why? They see this as a way to vanquish Trump and his “MAGA minions” once and for all.
Now, perhaps Professor, you might understand why the “Crazy 8” (see Kevin McCarthy’s recent rant) were so adamant for accountability.
Anyone, ANYONE in Congress who goes along with this dangerous scheme by continuing to fund the agencies responsible us being perilously shortsighted.
I know you have been speaking up more than most, Professor, but I am always amazed at how long it seems to take those closest to the problem to see it, and how little faith they seem to have in the millions who’ve been trying to sound the alarm.
Please remember: None of this information would have come to light if Elon Musk had not purchased Twitter!! We are in the death throes of the First Amendment!
@Debinrye
I’ve been saying the same. Whatever one thinks of Musk, that one, single action is the only thing that prevented a complete steam-rolling. Scary times.
” . . . a standard disclaimer that CISA neither has nor seeks the ability to remove what information is made available on social media platforms.’”
“Here’s the smell of blood still. All perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.” (Lady Macbeth)
The defunding must be drastic. It must stop funding not only any organisation that itself seeks to identify, rank or curtail so-called dis, mis or mal information, but also any organisation that funds or houses such an organisation. So if for example Stanford funds or houses the EIP or Stanford Virality Project, no Federal money should go to Stanford or its professors or employees for anything, including NIH or other government grants, and its tax exemptions should be withdrawn. If any state provides funds to Stanford, that state should receive no federal funds for anything.
The Republicans need to wake up. They have the power of the purse and should use it. If the Democrats don’t agree, then appropriations don’t get made.
I fear that many like the scheme, as their lack of action would seem.
The FBI defunding vote is evidence of this.
G-d forbid that any organization seek to identify dis, mis or mal information. Who cares about the truth, right?
It is certain that by your attitude you have proven to be one of those who cares little about the truth.
The truth is not revealed by governments, especially those governments that are corrupt and totalitarian like the Biden Administration. Ordinary people are able to discern the truth that you fail to see.
You should also include the main stream media.
Whenever you hear the term “disinformation”, you’re being lied to.
It’s shocking to see how extensive the censorship system is.
Not to some of us. I was kicked off my neighborhood Nextdoor platform in early Spring of 2021 for stating that C19 could not be declared “safe” since no long term data existed.
That’s mal-information, apparently, because though absolutely true, it might discourage people from getting vaccinated.
Never mind the people’s right to informed consent. I tried to get back on last month, but it’s a permanent ban. Think about that. One if my own neighbors serves as the moderator and decision maker- completely anonymously! I have no idea who it us. Yet that person still won’t allow me to participate.
I was banned from NextDoor for critiquing a Winn Dixie self checkout system 🤪
Sounds very much as if they are as afraid of your speaking a truth as any tyrannical regime is to truth-tellers. Any dissension in the populace could embolden the masses to stand up to the few. My only question is when are those of us remaining with clear vision going to actually confront this? We have tried speaking the truth, we have tried using the courts to uncover the lawless behavior and we have tried voting in elections wrought with fraud and mismanagement. When do we take whatever steps necessary to rid this nation of its infestation? Where is the Orkin Man when you need him?
This is why we need to end federal aid to colleges, cities, states…let democrats fund their failed brainwashing.
This why we need to cut 50% of Federal Government spending…too much centralized power…that can be BOUGHT
We need to remove 75% of Government from DC…and move large portion across the country
We are in a full funded Group Think Fascist Experiment!
Media can write what they want….but if it is illegal they need to be JAILED
Also every person involved in the Russian Hoax, indicting Trump and other republicans ILLEGALLY, protecting Bidens, Pelosis, etc need to be jailed. Think a Nuremburg trial against Democrats….who are just as Fascist as the 1930-40’s Germans
This is the only outcome when our gilded donor class and their bought and paid for uniparty politicians are in total control. Unless we drastically reduce the size and scope of this fascist leaning government it will only get worse. Given some of the election results from Tuesday I’m not very hopeful. I’m afraid most voters are clueless. Just look at what’s happening at the border which is as bad as our out of control spending
You seem to be gliding over the fact that there may not be sufficient demographics to achieve these ends via the corrupt media, judicial, and electoral systems allowed to us. We seem to be back where are fore fathers were before 1776.
It matters not whether this is part of an agenda by either party- this cannot stand.