Documents Show That U.S. Government Worked With Big Tech Companies to Censor American’s Online Free Speech [VIDEO]

In what can only be described as a 1984’esque story, the Intercept is reporting that internal DHS memos, emails, and papers that have been exposed through leaks and current litigation as well as publicly available records show the agency’s extensive efforts to influence tech platforms and suppress the free speech of Americans.  According to the news report:

The new “Disinformation Governance Board” [was] a panel designed 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. 

Earlier this year, DHS launched a widely panned "Disinfo Governance Board" which it later shuttered following criticism. But the same agenda lives on w/ DHS sub-agency "CISA" which argues disinfo is a threat to American "critical infrastructure" #dhsleaks https://t.co/OPl6m5GVGX

— Lee Fang (@lhfang) October 31, 2022

And though this board is now shut down documents show other initiatives are underway at the DHS and that the U.S. Government continues pressuring private platforms in an effort to shape the online discourse of Americans.   According to documents, Facebook and Twitter worked closely with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to combat “disinformation.” Plans to suppress more information on subjects like the pullout from Afghanistan, COVID’s beginnings, and data that casts doubt on financial organizations.

Docs show Facebook and Twitter closely collaborating w/ Dept of Homeland Security, FBI to police “disinfo.” Plans to expand censorship on topics like withdrawal from Afghanistan, origins of COVID, info that undermines trust in financial institutions. https://t.co/Zb3zmI1dQF

— Lee Fang (@lhfang) October 31, 2022

Facebook and Twitter developed specialized website portals that allowed the government to quickly seek content removal. The portals were used to block a wide variety of content, including obvious parody accounts and material that disagreed with official government pandemic policy.  The emails and papers demonstrate close coordination between the department of homeland security and the tech businesses in the private sector. Vijaya Gadde, who was let go by Elon Musk last week from Twitter, met with the DHS every month to talk about censoring strategies. “Platforms must become accustomed to working with the government” texted a Microsoft official to the DHS.

The emails and documents show close collaboration b/w DHS & private sector. Twitter's Vijaya Gadde (fired by @elonmusk last week) met monthly with DHS to discuss censorship plans. Microsoft exec texted DHS: "Platforms have got to get comfortable with gov't" pic.twitter.com/Z19yLM3miB

— Lee Fang (@lhfang) October 31, 2022

DHS official working on disinfo noted, during an internal strategy discussion, that the agency should use third party nonprofits as a “clearing house for information to avoid the appearance of government propaganda.” pic.twitter.com/BfOMxxXNDs

— Lee Fang (@lhfang) November 1, 2022

You can see Lee Fang’s outline of his above tweets on Tucker Carlson Tonight:

Online journalist Tim Pool also excoriated the overreach and obvious attack on free speech: