Topline: The federal authorities has lately spent $267 million on grants meant to suppress supposed “misinformation,” in accordance with a brand new report from OpenTheBooks.com.
After all, federal bureaucrats themselves get to resolve what’s and isn’t misinformation.
Key info: Misinformation spending soared in 2021 as the federal government labored with social media corporations to limit the views of these questioning federal Covid-19 insurance policies on-line. Fb CEO Mark Zuckerberg has since admitted it was “wrong” to censor various opinions on vaccines, mask-wearing and social distancing.
The U.S. Home Committee on the Judiciary and the Choose Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Authorities later accused the Nationwide Science Basis of making “AI-powered censorship and propaganda tools” at a value of $13 million.
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One other $200,000 was awarded to George Washington College to check how populist leaders unfold misinformation. Researchers used authorities funds to research politicians who allegedly divided society through the pandemic, specializing in Donald Trump and three different world leaders.
In complete, $127 million of the misinformation grants have been associated to Covid-19.
Different spending included $300,000 from the Division of Well being and Human Companies to create Innov8AI, which might “capture medical misinformation in social media for targeted interdiction using an advanced AI solution set.”
Trump’s administration spent $7 million on combating misinformation throughout his first time period.
Background: Suppressing speech of any variety brings up potential First Modification points, and it runs the danger of erasing narratives which might be really true.
In October, experiences emerged that Federal Emergency Administration Company employees have been deliberately withholding monetary assist from hurricane victims in Florida that had “Trump for President” indicators on their lawns. Many information networks gave the story a “misinformation” label — till it turned out to be true and a Congressional investigation was launched.
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Even the prediction that President Joe Biden would drop out of the presidential race was deemed a “conspiracy theory” from the “GOP fantasy crowd” by Politico in February. Months later, Biden stepped down from the ticket.
Abstract: Individuals could make up their very own minds, they don’t want the federal government to do this for them. The most effective answer for dangerous speech isn’t censorship, it’s extra speech.
The #WasteOfTheDay is delivered to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com
Syndicated with permission from RealClearWire.
