The Biden administration has reportedly paused its controversial plans for a Disinformation Governance Board after facing criticism from free speech advocates and conservatives.
The Homeland Security board was set to be led by director Nina Jankowicz and had a mandate to fight the spread of “disinformation” that “can affect border security, Americans’ safety during disasters, and public trust in our democratic institutions.”
But following a backlash from Republicans and some liberals, who likened the board to an Orwellian “ministry of truth,” the Washington Post reported on Wednesday that the initiative has been put on hold.
The DHS decided to shut down the board on Monday and Jankowicz had written a resignation letter by Tuesday, according to the report. DHS officials then reportedly gave Jankowicz the opportunity to stay on and she is evaluating her options, the Washington Post reported.
The DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A DHS spokesperson told the Washington Post that Jankowicz “has been subjected to unjustified and vile personal attacks and physical threats” and said she is “eminently qualified.”
Jankowicz has caught flak from conservatives over ideas including letting “verified” Twitter users “edit” other users’ tweets if they think they’re misleading.
Jankowicz told participants in a Zoom chat that she is “verified” by Twitter before adding that “there are a lot of people who shouldn’t be verified, who aren’t legit” because “they’re not trustworthy.”
“Verified people can essentially start to ‘edit’ Twitter [in] the same sort of way that Wikipedia is so they can add context to certain tweets,” Jankowicz said.
Elon Musk, who’s in the middle of trying to take over Twitter, called Jankowicz’s comments “disconcerting.”