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Joe Biden’s administration put “on hold” the creation of its Disinformation Governance Board.
According to the Washington Post, the entity (which has been nicknamed the “ministry of truth”)was to be disbanded on Monday, but was put on hold after days of reconsideration. Nina Jankowicz, assigned to lead the controversial board, resigned after receiving criticism from conservatives and free speech advocates.
Attacks on the Ministry of Truth
According to information provided to the Post by a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson, strong criticism against the initiative led Jankowicz to submit her resignation on Tuesday. DHS officials invited the official to an “urgent call” overnight Tuesday to give her the option of remaining in charge and resuming the creation of the board, but were unsuccessful in convincing her.
The “intradepartmental” working groups dedicated to monitoring disinformation on networks were also suspended and the dissolution of the Board remains an option, although it awaits approval by the National Security Council.
The report also indicates that, as a result of the network “campaign” against her, Jankowicz is “evaluating” her position at DHS, given that the administration asked her to remain silent after her attempts to publicly defend herself from criticism.
Jankowicz received criticism after her appointment as leader of the Board, given that one of her first proposals was that verified Twitter accounts would have the power to edit other accounts’ tweets to “add context,” with the goal of preventing the spread of misinformation. He also said that there were many accounts that, because of the content they disseminate, “should not be verified.”
On another occasion, Jankowicz said that Republicans use Critical Race Theory to spread disinformation. These comments also opened the way for criticism from conservatives, whom she has referred to as “disinformers.”
