House lawmakers have reported that the Biden administration collaborated with Big Tech to censor Americans.

Lawmakers Accuse Biden Administration of Conspiring with Big Tech to Censor Free Speech

In a new report released on Monday, U.S. House lawmakers accused the Biden Administration of colluding with Big Tech to undermine American citizens’ First Amendment rights. The report, published by the House Weaponization Subcommittee, details how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) allegedly used the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to surveil and censor Americans’ speech on social media.

“CISA must be reined in, as must the Biden Administration’s ‘whole-of-government’ approach to social media censorship,” lawmakers wrote in the report. “Every American has the right to express his or her opinion online, and to receive information from others. Government classifications of opinions as ‘misinformation’ or ‘disinformation’ do not nullify the First Amendment’s guarantees.”

This report follows previous allegations of government pressure on Big Tech to censor certain viewpoints. Chairman Jim Jordan and other lawmakers obtained non-public documents that reveal how CISA, originally intended for cybersecurity protection, began collaborating with the federal government to censor social media content.

The report also exposes how CISA exploited its connections with Big Tech and government-funded non-profits to circumvent the First Amendment. This included creating reporting “portals” to funnel alleged misinformation reports to social media platforms.

The Creation of the “Mis, Dis, and Malformation” Team

In 2021, CISA formed a team called the “mis, dis, and malformation” (MDM) team, which included notable individuals such as University of Washington Associate Professor Kate Starbird and former Chief Legal Officer of Twitter Vijaya Gadd. The subcommittee accuses CISA of attempting to camouflage its activities and focus on targeting domestic sources.

The report also reveals discussions within CISA about creating a physical “anti-misinformation rapid response team” to combat specific information threats during local elections.

One of the most concerning aspects of CISA’s actions, according to the committee, is its alleged cover-up of unconstitutional activities. The agency removed evidence of wrongdoing and hid it from the public.

Furthermore, the report highlights the Biden Administration’s attempt to create a “Disinformation Governance Board,” which faced significant backlash and was disbanded. Lawsuits filed by Missouri and Louisiana Attorney Generals revealed direct pressure from the White House to censor vaccine-skeptical content on social media.

The report concludes by criticizing CISA’s repeated violations of the First Amendment and its attempts to cover up surveillance and censorship operations. It emphasizes the importance of legislative efforts to end government censorship and protect Americans’ rights.

CISA has not yet responded to requests for comment.

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