Just three weeks after announcing its creation, the Department of Homeland Security’s Disinformation Governance Board is being shut down, according to The Washington Post. The board’s goal was to help combat the spread of harmful disinformation, a stated remit upon which the right-wing disingenuously seized, calling it an Orwell-esque “Ministry of Truth.” But in fact, the purpose of the board, which had no enforcement powers and no authority to police individual speech, was “grossly mischaracterized,” a DHS spokesperson told the Post. “Quite the opposite, its focus is to ensure that freedom of speech is protected.” Disinformation expert Nina Jankowicz, who was appointed to head up the board, was specifically targeted by far-right agitators online, subjecting her to “unjustified and vile personal attacks and physical threats,” the DHS spokesperson said. One DHS insider said the agency’s bungled response to the situation could make it difficult to recruit top-tier talent in the future. “We’re going to need another Nina down the road,” the staffer said. “And anyone who takes that position is going to be vulnerable to a disinformation campaign or attack.”
