Mayorkas: Disinformation Board Won’t Infringe on Free Speech, Monitor Americans

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that the Disinformation Governance Board would not infringe on free speech or monitor Americans.

Anchor Dana Bash said, “Let’s talk about what your department is calling, The Disinformation Governance Board that you unveiled this week. Republicans are calling it Orwellian and comparing it to the ministry of truth in the novel 1984. Can you clarify what exactly is this? What exactly will this disinformation governance board do? Will it monitor American citizens? ”

Mayorkas said, “Dana, I’m very pleased to do so. It’s clear, I mean, those criticisms are precisely the opposite of what this small working group within the Department of Homeland Security will do. And I think we probably could have done a better job of communicating what it does and does not do. The fact is that disinformation that creates a threat to the security of the homeland is our responsibility to address. And this department has been addressing it for years.”

He added, “So, what it does, it works to ensure that the way in which we address threats, the connectivity between threats and acts of violence are addressed without infringing on free speech, protecting civil rights and civil liberties, the right of privacy. And the board, this working group, internal working group, will draw from best practices and communicate those best practices to the operators because the board does not have operational authority.”

Bash asked, “Will American citizens be monitored?”

Mayorkas said, “No, no, the board does not have any operational capability. What it will do is gather together best practices in addressing the threat of disinformation from foreign state adversaries, from the cartels and disseminate those best practices to the operators that have been executing and addressing this threat for years.”

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