nypost.com
Open in
urlscan Pro
192.0.66.32
Public Scan
URL:
https://nypost.com/2023/07/04/chilling-revelations-on-the-rise-of-feds-orwellian-speech-police/
Submission: On July 29 via manual from US — Scanned from US
Submission: On July 29 via manual from US — Scanned from US
Form analysis 3 forms found in the DOM
https://nypost.com/
<form class="search__form" action="https://nypost.com/" id="nav-search">
<div class="search__inner" role="search">
<label for="search-input-interior" class="screen-reader-text"> Search </label>
<input type="search" name="s" class="search__input" placeholder="Type to Search" value="">
</div>
<button class="search__submit" type="submit" id="search-submit" value="search" tabindex="-1" aria-label="Click to Search">
<span class="search__submit-text"> Search </span>
<span class="search__submit-icon">
<svg width="23" height="24" viewBox="0 0 23 24" tabindex="-1" aria-hidden="true">
<path data-name="Search Icon" d="M21.568 24l-7.348-7.344a9.218 9.218 0 111.54-1.325L23 22.569 21.569 24zM9.116 2.025a7.087 7.087 0 107.091 7.087 7.1 7.1 0 00-7.091-7.087z" fill="var(--wp--custom--color--brand-primary)"></path>
</svg>
</span>
</button>
</form><form class="search__form">
<div class="search__inner" role="search">
<label for="search-input-header" class="screen-reader-text"> Search </label>
<span class="search__input-icon"><svg width="23" height="24" viewBox="0 0 23 24" tabindex="-1" aria-hidden="true">
<path data-name="Search Icon" d="M21.568 24l-7.348-7.344a9.218 9.218 0 111.54-1.325L23 22.569 21.569 24zM9.116 2.025a7.087 7.087 0 107.091 7.087 7.1 7.1 0 00-7.091-7.087z" fill="#fff"></path>
</svg>
</span>
<input type="search" name="s" class="search__input" id="search-input-header" placeholder="Type to Search" tabindex="-1" data-search-header="input">
</div>
<button class="search__submit" type="submit" tabindex="-1" aria-label="Click to Search" data-search-header="submit">
<span class="search__submit-text">Search</span>
<span class="search__submit-icon"><svg width="23" height="24" viewBox="0 0 23 24" tabindex="-1" aria-hidden="true">
<path data-name="Search Icon" d="M21.568 24l-7.348-7.344a9.218 9.218 0 111.54-1.325L23 22.569 21.569 24zM9.116 2.025a7.087 7.087 0 107.091 7.087 7.1 7.1 0 00-7.091-7.087z" fill="#fff"></path>
</svg>
</span>
</button>
</form><form class="inline-module__form newsletter-form" data-nypost-editor="newsletter-block">
<div class="newsletter-form__wrapper">
<div class="floating-label input-container input-container--floating-label">
<input type="hidden" name="site_id" value="nypost">
<input type="hidden" id="_newsletter_nonce" name="_newsletter_nonce" value="6b62300aba"><input type="hidden" name="_wp_http_referer" value="/2023/07/04/chilling-revelations-on-the-rise-of-feds-orwellian-speech-police/"> <input type="hidden"
name="list_id" value="70848">
<input type="email" id="newsletter-block-email-64c537b02d2a8" class="floating-label__input " name="email" placeholder=" ">
<div class="floating-label__label-wrap">
<label for="email" class="floating-label__label">Enter your email address</label>
</div>
</div>
<p class="newsletter-form__error">
<svg width="15" height="15">
<path
d="M7.5 0A7.5 7.5 0 1 0 15 7.5 7.5 7.5 0 0 0 7.5 0Zm.62 3.952-.112 4.15a.516.516 0 0 1-.508.534.516.516 0 0 1-.508-.534l-.112-4.15a.621.621 0 0 1 .62-.635.621.621 0 0 1 .625.635Zm-.62 7.082a.664.664 0 1 1 .689-.663.67.67 0 0 1-.689.663Z"
fill="#e13131"></path>
</svg>
<span class="error_msg"> Please provide a valid email address. </span>
</p>
<input type="submit" value="Sign Up" class="submit"
data-ga-event="
{"category":"Inline Newsletter Module Evening Update","action":"Button Click","label":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2023\/07\/04\/chilling-revelations-on-the-rise-of-feds-orwellian-speech-police\/"} ">
<div class="newsletter-form__notice">
<p class="t-color-black m-bottom-none"> By clicking above you agree to the <a href="/terms">Terms of Use</a> and <a href="/privacy">Privacy Policy</a>. </p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="newsletter-form__success">
<p class="inline-module__cta">
<strong>Thanks for signing up!</strong>
<br> Never miss a story.
</p>
<div class="t-center">
<a href="https://email.nypost.com/">
<span>Check out more newsletters</span>
</a>
</div>
</div>
<input type="checkbox" name="nyp_phone" value="1" style="display:none !important" tabindex="-1" autocomplete="off">
</form>Text Content
Primary Menu Sections
Search
Search
Skip to search results
* News
* Metro
* Page Six
* Sports Open sub menu
* NFL
* MLB
* NBA
* NHL
* College Football
* College Basketball
* Post Sports+
* Sports Betting
* Business Open sub menu
* Personal Finance
* Opinion
* Entertainment Open sub menu
* Oscars 2023
* TV
* Movies
* Music
* Celebrities
* Awards
* Theater
* Shopping
* Lifestyle Open sub menu
* Weird But True
* Health
* Sex & Relationships
* Viral Trends
* Human Interest
* Parenting
* Fashion & Beauty
* Food & Drink
* Travel
* Real Estate
* Media
* Tech
* Astrology
* Video
* Photos
* Visual Stories
* Sub Menu 1
* Today’s Paper
* Covers
* Columnists
* Horoscopes
* Sports Odds
* Podcasts
* Careers
* Sub menu 2
* Email Newsletters
* Official Store
* Home Delivery
* Tips
Log In
Search Email
New York Post
Log In
July 29, 2023
Search
Search
RECOMMENDED
Skip to main content
JUSSIE SMOLLETT STILL HASN’T APOLOGIZED FOR HIS HATE-CRIME HOAX — WHY ISN’T HE
IN JAIL?
A LETTER TO THE WORLD CUP WOMEN’S TEAM: PLEASE SING — FOR THE NATION
THE FIX WAS IN FOR HUNTER BIDEN — UNTIL A HERO JUDGE STEPPED UP
HUNTER’S PLEA DEAL WAS MEANT TO PROTECT ONE PERSON: JOE BIDEN
HUNTER BIDEN’S PLEA IMPLOSION A NAIL IN COFFIN OF JOE’S CAMPAIGN
THE WEEK IN WHOPPERS: HILLARY’S HOT AIR, NY MAG’S SELF-PRAISE AND MORE
BIDEN STAYS DEAF AS A DOORNAIL ON MIGRANT CRISIS DESPITE EVEN DEMS’ PLEAS
‘OPPENHEIMER’ REIGNITES THE BOMB DEBATE — BUT THERE’S NO QUESTION TRUMAN WAS
RIGHT
Opinion
* Facebook
* Twitter
* Flipboard
* WhatsApp
* Email
* Copy
*
* 103103 Comments
CHILLING REVELATIONS ON THE RISE OF FEDS’ ORWELLIAN SPEECH POLICE
By
Benjamin Weingarten
SOCIAL LINKS FOR BENJAMIN WEINGARTEN
* View Author Archive
* Get author RSS feed
Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission.
Back to Reading
July 4, 2023 6:39pm
Updated
July 4, 2023 6:39pm
On Tuesday, a blockbuster preliminary injunction from a federal judge barring
contact between Team Biden and social-media companies, cited evidence of a
"massive effort" by the White House and federal agencies to "suppress speech
based on its content." AFP via Getty Images
MORE ON: SPEECH
* PUTIN ‘APPEARED NERVOUS’ IN SPEECH DENOUNCING WAGNER GROUP: EXPERTS
* CUNY LAW GRAD SAYS SHE ‘WOULD NOT CHANGE’ HER ‘HATE SPEECH’ ADDRESS
* OUTRAGED CRITICS RIP CUNY GRAD’S ‘HATE-FILLED’ COMMENCEMENT SPEECH, DEMAND
BILLIONS IN TAX DOLLARS BE STRIPPED
* BILLY CRYSTAL REFLECTS ON ‘TERRIFIC FAMILY MAN’ AND FRIEND YOGI BERRA
Imagine an America where the feds surge actual speech police wherever chatter on
social media questions the integrity of the vote — speech police who then take
to the airwaves to attack those making the claims.
If this sounds far-fetched, consider that last summer a national-security agency
actually mulled the idea of deploying a “rapid response team” to local
jurisdictions to help election officials fend off “mis-, dis- and
mal-information” (MDM)-related “threats,” including through communications — an
idea one federal official called “fascinating.”
That revelation comes from a new report from the House Weaponization
Subcommittee on a little-known Homeland Security sub-agency called the
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
And it was followed Tuesday by a blockbuster preliminary injunction from a
federal judge barring contact between Team Biden and social-media companies, who
cited evidence of a “massive effort” by the White House and federal agencies to
“suppress speech based on its content.”
Despite its anonymity, CISA has served as the linchpin of government-led speech
policing.
It has coordinated with federal agencies and a coterie of often federally funded
“anti-disinformation” NGOs to chide, cajole and collude with Big Tech companies
to impose a mass public-private surveillance and censorship regime on the
American people.
CISA Director Jen Easterly has said “cognitive infrastructure” — that is, what
people think — is “most critical.”AP
That regime has silenced those who voice unauthorized opinions and even
inconvenient facts on social-media platforms under the banner of combatting
“dangerous” MDM.
This amounts to a conspiracy to violate the First Amendment, resulting in
rampant election interference, the stifling of crucial debates for example on
COVID-19 and the chilling of incalculable amounts of speech on much else — all
in service of ruling class power.
Now House Republicans are striking back; the subcommittee’s report is part of
the backlash.
By exposing CISA and its partners’ centrality to the censorship regime,
Republicans are taking the first step towards terminating it.
The report shows, during the 2020 presidential contest, CISA collected and
reported offending content Americans posted about elections to social media
companies, which often censored it — a process known as “switchboarding.”Getty
Images
The report tells of how an agency tasked with combatting foreign cyberattacks
and defending the grid came to target Americans’ tweets questioning mass mail-in
balloting as if they were mini-terrorist attacks on “cognitive infrastructure.”
CISA Director Jen Easterly has said “cognitive infrastructure” — that is, what
people think — is “most critical,” hence the need for her agency to control
Americans’ speech.
Consistent with this view, as the report shows, during the 2020 presidential
contest, CISA collected and reported offending content Americans posted about
elections to social media companies, which often censored it — a process known
as “switchboarding.”
During and after that election, CISA colluded extensively with cut-outs, one of
which was CISA-funded, to get content purged.
There have been specific instances of a CISA-funded partner working to get
posts, including those of Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, taken down by social-media
companies.REUTERS
As its efforts grew more ambitious, CISA formalized its coordination with the
cut-outs and social-media companies, convening an Orwellian subcommittee for
MDM.
The report adds rich color to this underreported story.
KEEP UP WITH TODAY'S MOST IMPORTANT NEWS
Stay up on the very latest with Evening Update.
Enter your email address
Please provide a valid email address.
By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up!
Never miss a story.
Check out more newsletters
It shows CISA and its partners casting aside concerns about targeting Americans’
speech, even as some expressed surprise and concern.
It shows specific instances of a CISA-funded partner working to get posts,
including those of Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, taken down by social-media
companies.
Perhaps most important, the report shows CISA & Co. knew what the sub-agency was
doing was unlawful and “routinely attempted to conceive methods” to
“surreptitiously outsource its surveillance and censorship to non-governmental
third parties.”
“It’s only a matter of time before someone realizes we exist and starts asking
about our work,” a former CIA lawyer serving on the MDM Subcommittee warned in a
May 2022 email.
CISA eventually scrapped the subcommittee and scrubbed evidence of its
domestic-speech targeting.
The cover-up would seem to be an admission of guilt.
We still don’t know the full scope of any underlying crimes, but Congress’
probes may reveal them.
That oversight is critical, because lawmakers need a comprehensive picture of
the surveillance and censorship regime to inform legislation to dismantle it.
Those efforts in fact have already begun.
The House Armed Services Committee recently adopted an amendment to its annual
National Defense Authorization Act halting federal funding to purported
anti-disinformation outfits that have gotten conservative outlets blacklisted
and demonetized.
103
What do you think? Post a comment.
The Homeland Security Committee adopted an amendment in its annual
appropriations bill — one I supported, including in testimony — defunding any
DHS speech-policing activities.
These efforts are imperative to saving free speech in America.
Benjamin Weingarten, editor at large at RealClearInvestigations, recently
testified before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight,
Investigations and Accountability on federal speech-policing.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE:
* Facebook
* Twitter
* Flipboard
* WhatsApp
* Email
* Copy
*
* 103103 Comments
Filed under
* 2020 presidential election
* congress
* cybersecurity
* department of homeland security
* disinformation
* free speech
* George Orwell
* republicans
* social media
* speech
* ted cruz
* 7/4/23
Read Next Don't buy the hype that hot weather is a mass killer
SPONSORED STORIES
Skip Ad
Skip
Ads by
Around The Web
Jill Biden's Ex-Husband Makes A Stunning Claim About The BidensNYPost.com
Sarah Palin's Wild Transformation Has Us Doing A Double TakeTheList.com
Surviving Roommate Of ID Murders Makes Head-Turning AgreementNYPost.com
Ratajkowski Slammed For Revealing Too Much In Plunging SwimsuitThenerdstash.com
The Big Prince Harry & Meghan Drama Everyone Is Buzzing AboutKatiecouric.com
Clint Eastwood's Stunning Daughters Are Turning Many HeadsTheList.com
The Tragedy Of Kimberly Guilfoyle Is Just So SadNickiSwift.com
The Tragic Death Of Fox News Anchor Uma PemmarajuNickiSwift.com
Jennifer Aniston Revealed The Most Game-Changing Oatmeal HackKatiecouric.com
Powered by ZergNet
TRENDING NOW
* MAN WHO SPENT $14K TO TRANSFORM HIMSELF INTO COLLIE STEPS OUT FOR FIRST-EVER
WALK IN PUBLIC
* exclusive
SEX FOR SALE: THIS NYC AVENUE IS OVERRUN BY BRAZEN BROTHELS OPERATING IN
BROAD DAYLIGHT
* I LOST 140 POUNDS EATING A 'LAZY GIRL LUNCH' THAT'S ONLY THREE INGREDIENTS
WHAT TO SHOP NOW
* GET READY, SET AND COOKING FOR SUMMER WITH HELLOFRESH MEAL KITS
* SAFETY FIRST! THIS TWO-PACK FIRE EXTINGUISHER IS 45% OFF
* WE TESTED 9 COOLING SHEETS TO FIND THE BEST FOR HOT SLEEPERS: OUR REVIEW,
FEATURING AN EXPERT FROM THE SLEEP FOUNDATION
NOW ON PAGE SIX
* VANESSA WILLIAMS, 60, REVEALS WHETHER SHE WOULD GET PLASTIC SURGERY OR
FILLERS
See All
NOW ON DECIDER
* JOY BEHAR GETS BLEEPED BY CENSORS DURING ‘VIEW’ DEBATE ABOUT BREAST
AUGMENTATION: “CAN WE SAY THAT?”
See All
VIDEO
* COLLEGE FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT: MONMOUTH HAWKS RUNNING BACK JADEN SHIRDEN
AdChoicesSponsored
Skip
Ads by
AdChoicesSponsored
MORE STORIES
PAGE SIX
MANDY MOORE'S 'ROCKSTAR' SON, 2, DIAGNOSED WITH GIANOTTI-CROSTI SYNDROME AFTER
WAKING UP WITH 'CRAZY RASH'
DECIDER
*
Ryan Reynolds Wishes Sandra Bullock Happy Birthday — By Posting a Clip of
Their Nude…
NYPOST
MAN WHO SPENT $14K TO TRANSFORM HIMSELF INTO COLLIE STEPS OUT FOR FIRST-EVER
WALK IN PUBLIC
* Facebook
* Twitter
* Instagram
* LinkedIn
* Email
* YouTube
* Sections & Features
* News
* Metro
* Sports
* Sports Betting
* Business
* Opinion
* Entertainment
* Fashion & Beauty
* Shopping
* Lifestyle
* Real Estate
* Media
* Tech
* Health
* Travel
* Astrology
* Video
* Photos
* Visual Stories
* Alexa
* Covers
* Horoscopes
* Sports Odds
* Podcasts
* Columnists
* Classifieds
* Post Sports+
* Subscribe
* Articles
* Manage
* Newsletters & Feeds
* Email Newsletters
* RSS Feeds
* NY Post Official Store
* Home Delivery
* Subscribe
* Manage Subscription
* Delivery Help
* Help/Support
* About New York Post
* Customer Service
* Apps Help
* Community Guidelines
* Contact Us
* Tips
* Newsroom
* Letters to the Editor
* Licensing & Reprints
* Careers
* Vulnerability Disclosure Program
* Apps
* iPhone App
* iPad App
* Android Phone
* Android Tablet
* Advertise
* Self Service
* Media Kit
* Contact
© 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved Terms of Use Membership Terms
Privacy Notice Sitemap
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your California Privacy Rights Do Not Sell or Share My Personal
Information/Opt-Out
SHARE LINK
click to copy
This page is not available in your area.
NYP - STRICTLY NECESSARY COOKIES AND SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES
Strictly necessary cookies are essential for the website to function correctly.
These cookies may also be used to assist in fraud prevention and security. You
can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but without
them, performance of the site may be affected and you may not be able to take
full advantage of all services and/or features of the site.
STRICTLY NECESSARY COOKIES
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched
off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you
which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy
preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to
block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then
work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.
NEWSCORP.COM ANALYTICS COOKIES
We and our service providers, such as Google Analytics, use analytics cookies to
collect information about your use of the website to help create reports and
statistics on the performance of the website, which enable us to improve the way
they work. Analytics cookies collect information such as your IP address, type
of device, operating system, referring URLs, country information data and time
of page visits, and pages visited. This information allows us to identify
overall patterns of usage on the website, and help us record any difficulties
you have with website. For information about how to opt-out of Google Analytics
cookies, please use the following link: Google Analytics
SUBMIT AN ACCESS, CORRECTION OR DELETION REQUEST TO NYP PRIVACY
Residents of CA , CO, CT and VA have certain other rights with respect to their
personal information. Should you wish to exercise any of those other rights,
please indicate your preferences through the “Submit Request” link provided
below.
Submit Request
DO NOT SELL OR SHARE MY PERSONAL INFORMATION ONLY FOR NYP PRINT SUBSCRIBERS
If you are a CA, CT or VA resident and currently subscribe for (or are a former
subscriber of) home delivery of the print edition of the New York Post, you may
opt out of offline third party sales by using the “Submit an Opt Out Request”
link below. (Note: this option does not apply to residents of CO because there
is no home delivery service in CO.) Submit an Opt Out Request
DO NOT SELL OR SHARE MY PERSONAL INFORMATION FOR NYP INTERNET AND MOBILE USERS
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information for NYP Internet and Mobile Users
If you do not wish for us or our third party partners such as advertising
networks and social media platforms to sell or share your personal information
to others, please click the red "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal
Information/Opt-Out” button provided below. If you access this site and/or app
from other devices or browsers, or clear your cookies on your devices or
browsers, you will need to indicate your preferences again from those devices or
browsers. Please note that after making your “Do Not Sell or Share” request, you
may still see advertising and we may continue to share personal information with
our service providers who use such information on our behalf. To learn more
about interest-based advertising across sites and additional opt-out choices,
you can visit http://optout.aboutads.info and
http://optout.networkadvertising.org.
KNEWZ - ANALYTICS COOKIES AND SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES
We and our service providers, such as Google Analytics, use analytics cookies to
collect information about your use of the website to help create reports and
statistics on the performance of the website, which enable us to improve the way
the site works. Analytics cookies collect information such as your IP address,
type of device, operating system, referring URLs, country information data and
time of page visits, and pages visited. This information allows us to identify
overall patterns of usage on the website, and help us record any difficulties
you have with website.
KNEWZ - ADVERTISING COOKIES AND SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES
We may also partner with our affiliated companies, social media platforms and
other third parties where those companies and platforms gather information
through advertising cookies of users of our site in order to deliver targeted
advertising campaigns or advertisements to such users while they are on those
social media platforms.
NYP - FUNCTIONALITY COOKIES AND SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES
Functionality cookies collect information regarding your choices and preferences
(such as, your language preference, user name, or location) to provide a more
personalized online experience and show you content relevant to where you are,
such as customizing a certain webpage or remembering if we have asked you to
sign up for our Services. With mobile or other internet enabled devices,
functionality cookies may collect a unique identifier assigned to an internet
enabled device (mobile, tablet), geolocation data or other traffic information
for that device. These features help us improve your experience with the
website, for example, to determine the appropriate device location during a
session or count articles viewed.
NYP - ANALYTICS COOKIES AND SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES
We and our service providers, such as Google Analytics, use analytics cookies to
collect information about your use of the website to help create reports and
statistics on the performance of the website, which enable us to improve the way
the site works. Analytics cookies collect information such as your IP address,
type of device, operating system, referring URLs, country information data and
time of page visits, and pages visited. This information allows us to identify
overall patterns of usage on the website, and help us record any difficulties
you have with website.
NYP - UNKNOWN
Unknown
NYP OBSOLETE
Obsolete/cookies not in use
SOCIAL MEDIA COOKIES
These cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to
the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They
are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a
profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on
other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be
able to use or see these sharing tools.
TARGETING COOKIES
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may
be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you
relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal
information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet
device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted
advertising.
PERFORMANCE COOKIES
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and
improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the
most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All
information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you
do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and
will not be able to monitor its performance.
FUNCTIONAL COOKIES
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and
personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose
services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then
some or all of these services may not function properly.
NEWSCORP.COM STRICTLY NECESSARY AND FUNCTIONALITY COOKIES
Strictly necessary cookies are essential for the website to function correctly.
These cookies may be used to assist in fraud prevention, security and to enable
filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these
cookies, but without them, some parts of the website may not work. Functionality
cookies may collect a unique identifier assigned to an internet enabled device
(mobile, tablet), geolocation data or other traffic information for that device.
These features help us improve your experience with the website, for example, to
determine the appropriate device location during a session or store language
settings.
NEWSCORP.COM - UNKNOWN COOKIES
Newscorp.com - Unknown cookies
Cookies on the newscorp.com website that show up in the scan, but were not
identified in the cookie audit of 2022.
Back Button
BACK
Search Icon
Filter Icon
Clear
checkbox label label
Apply Cancel
Consent Leg.Interest
checkbox label label
checkbox label label
checkbox label label
Confirm