Former Disinformation Governance Board leader Nina Jankowicz is worried Americans face a bleak future after the Department of Homeland Security reportedly “paused” their effort.
“The problem is there are very real national security issues here, and not being able to talk about this in a mature way is a real disservice to the country,” Jankowicz told the New York Times in an interview published Wednesday.
Jankowicz criticized Republicans and conservative activists after resigning three weeks after she announced her new position as the head of a Disinformation Governance Board on social media.
The creation of the board alarmed free speech advocates who criticized the government’s attempt to control online speech.
But Jankowicz warned the country was in a “really bleak situation” after the controversy.
Jankowicz complained that “right” wing activists used the existence of the board to “whip up people in a furor” and expressed her fears that disinformation would remain unchecked.
“It’s hard to imagine how we get back from this, when this is how our elected representatives are behaving — when we can’t agree on, you know, what is the truth,” she said.
The DHS Disinformation Board was paused by Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, pending a review of the proposed goal of the project which is due August 1.