DHS pauses disinformation board amid free speech questions

By NOMAAN MERCHANT and AMANDA SEITZ
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Homeland Security has paused the work of its new disinformation governance board. Wednesday’s move follows weeks of criticism from Republicans and questions about whether the board would impinge on free speech rights. Nina Jankowicz, picked to lead the board, wrote in her resignation letter that the board’s future was “uncertain.” Federal and state agencies treat disinformation as a national security threat. But the new board was hampered from the start by questions about its purpose and an uneven rollout. In a statement, the Homeland Security Department said the board “has been grossly and intentionally mischaracterized: it was never about censorship or policing speech in any manner.”