Government places disinformation board on ice

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas put a pause on the controversial Disinformation Governance Board on Wednesday. Hours later, board director and disinformation expert Nina Jankowicz resigned. Jankowicz said she’s received countless attacks and online threats since the board’s launch in April. Federal and state agencies consider disinformation a threat to national security, so DHS set up the governance board to counter Russian propaganda and misinformation about migrants traveling to the U.S.-Mexico border.

What was the problem? The board faced intense scrutiny over its potential to infringe on Americans’ free speech. Mayorkas also did not have information about how it would be funded and what type of authority the board would exert. Critics labeled it the “Ministry of Truth,” a reference to George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984. The DHS argued that the board would not have censored free speech but was meant to protect constitutional rights. A department advisory council will review the board and make recommendations on how to move forward in the next 75 days.

Dig deeper: Read Erin Hawley’s column about the Disinformation Governance Board and censorship in WORLD Opinions.