The Department of Justice (DOJ) has delayed the release of documents requested by the Daily Caller News Foundation regarding federal efforts to crack down on “misinformation,” according to screenshots of September emails released by journalists. probably tried to prevent it. Lee Fan.
Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, Annalisa Cravens, said: e-mail On September 26, I asked University of Washington professor and misinformation researcher Kate Starbird and public records coordinator Mike Fleming to delay the release of the DCNF-requested document on social media speech censorship. according to to email. Mr. Cravens’ email also hinted at possible legal action to prevent the full release of the documents.
“I heard from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that the Daily Caller News Foundation is requesting documents from the university, including documents belonging to CISA. It may have been,” the U.S. Assistant Attorney wrote. Annalisa Cravens of the Western District of Washington said in an email to Starbird in September.
“Can I see a copy of the relevant CISA document that you plan to produce?” Cravens wrote in an email. “[W]We would also like to ask for an extension of the time period before the records are created so that we have time to review them and determine whether legal action should be taken to protect them from disclosure. “
Under the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Starbird served on an advisory panel called the Subcommittee on Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Misinformation and Disinformation. DCNF had filed two requests for public records relating to the university’s informant center and its work with CISA. (Related: Exclusive: DHS ‘Misinformation’ Commission Dismisses Speech Suppression Concern as ‘Malicious’)
CISA regularly works to provide guidance on how social media companies and outside parties should deal with misinformation and disinformation, and has been accused of promoting censorship.
The Biden Department of Justice stepped in to delay and potentially block the release of social media censorship documents from CISA, the government agency tasked with developing content moderation policies for Twitter and Facebook. pic.twitter.com/O1Uty87VZt
— Lee Fang (@lhfang) June 6, 2023
The DCNF eventually obtained some documents relating to Starbird’s commission activities, but there was a long delay in requesting public records. Additionally, it is not clear whether any documents were withheld as a result of the Justice Department investigation.
Published by Starbird Subcommittee Recommendation In June 2022, it submitted to CISA, part of DHS, on managing information risks to democratic “critical functions” such as public health measures, the financial system, elections and the court system. The report suggested that CISA detect “information threats,” work with “non-governmental” groups to expose misinformation and disinformation, and expand research on misinformation.
The DCNF previously reported that the subcommittee sought to enlist left-wing research groups and pro-censorship groups in its efforts to crack down on misinformation.
Mr. Cravens ended the email with a compliment.
“By chance, Dr. Starbird, I listened to your talk this afternoon and found it very interesting. Thank you for coming,” she wrote.
In response to a series of public record requests regarding Starbird’s work with CISA, she said: tweeted In October, she announced that she had been “targeted for harassment by right-wing media/influencers.”
He is an active leftist activist and encourages his followers on Facebook to vote Democrat. director He blamed the Republican Party and former President Donald Trump. In her post, she characterized President Trump as speaking with “overtones” of “white supremacy and ethnic nationalism.”
The Department of Justice, DHS and Starbird did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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