The following is a summary of the document:
THE WEAPONIZATION OF CISA: HOW A “CYBERSECURITY” AGENCY COLLUDED WITH BIG TECH AND “DISINFORMATION” PARTNERS TO CENSOR AMERICANS
by the:
Committee on the Judiciary and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government U.S. House of Representatives
Readers are asked to understand that this is a political document written by politicians for political purposes. Though on the surface it is eye watering in detail it is unknown what other details may emerge in the future.
Introduction: In a recently published report titled “The Weaponization of CISA: How a ‘Cybersecurity’ Agency Colluded with Big Tech and ‘Disinformation’ Partners to Censor Americans,” the Interim Staff Report of the Committee on the Judiciary and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government sheds light on alleged collusion between the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), big tech companies, and other partners in censoring Americans’ political speech. The report raises concerns about the expansion of CISA’s mission beyond its original purpose and accuses the agency of engaging in unconstitutional behavior through direct censorship and collaboration with third-party intermediaries.
CISA’s Expanded Role and Unconstitutional Behavior: According to the report, CISA, initially established to protect critical infrastructure and combat cybersecurity threats, has ventured into domestic surveillance and censorship operations on social media platforms. It suggests that CISA’s actions extend beyond its statutory authority, leading to concerns about violations of civil liberties and freedom of speech. The agency’s alleged involvement in censoring Americans directly and through third-party intermediaries is a major point of contention.
Collaboration with Federal Partners and Disinformation Initiatives: The report highlights CISA’s collaboration with federal partners in combating misinformation and disinformation. It mentions the consideration of creating an anti-misinformation rapid response team and the relocation of CISA’s censorship operation to a CISA-funded nonprofit after facing legal challenges. Additionally, CISA attempted to use the nonprofit as a mouthpiece to avoid government propaganda appearances. Concerns expressed by members of CISA’s advisory committee regarding scrutiny of their work are also mentioned.
Investigation and the First Amendment: The Committee on the Judiciary and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government assert their responsibility to investigate violations of civil liberties and the weaponization of the federal government against American citizens. The report references ongoing efforts to investigate CISA’s activities and other executive branch agencies’ involvement with social media platforms. It also alludes to previous hearings on social media censorship and a staff report revealing the Federal Trade Commission’s harassment campaign against Elon Musk’s Twitter account. The report emphasizes the importance of the First Amendment and argues that labeling speech as misinformation does not remove its constitutional protection.
Background on CISA and Involvement of Nonprofits: The report provides background information on CISA’s establishment in 2018 and its expanded mission to combat disinformation. It highlights the creation of the CISA Cybersecurity Advisory Committee (CSAC) and its subcommittee on protecting critical infrastructure from misinformation and disinformation. The involvement of the Center for Internet Security (CIS), a nonprofit organization operating the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) and Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC), in forwarding information from election officials to social media platforms is also mentioned.
Attempts to Conceal Unconstitutional Activities: The report alleges that CISA attempted to conceal its unconstitutional activities and scrub evidence of wrongdoing. It points to a challenging period in April and May 2022, during which President Biden’s DHS announced the formation of the Disinformation Governance Board but had to disband it following public outcry. The report indicates that CISA was aware of these developments and discussed outsourcing its activities to third parties to bypass the First Amendment and “avoid the appearance of government propaganda.” The outsourcing of its censorship operation to the EI-ISAC and suggestions of using the nonprofit as a mouthpiece for “trusted information” are detailed.
Disguising Recommendations and Ensuring Transparency: Efforts were made by the MDM Subcommittee to disguise recommendations and avoid public scrutiny, according to the report. Discussions about creating an independent oversight board with non-politically active members were mentioned, expressing concerns about recommendations originating from a director serving under a political administration. These discussions highlight the need to address public distrust and ensure transparency in censorship efforts.
Conclusion: The allegations raised in the Interim Staff Report of the Committee on the Judiciary and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government shed light on the alleged collusion between CISA, big tech companies, and other partners in censoring Americans’ political speech. The report raises concerns about the expansion of CISA’s mission, collaboration with federal partners, and attempts to conceal unconstitutional activities. The sensitive nature of government involvement in speech regulation and the challenges posed by disinformation and misinformation are evident. It remains to be seen how these allegations will be further investigated and whether they will lead to any significant changes in the operations of CISA and its partners.
Original Document: https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/cisa-staff-report6-26-23.pdf
OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT. Edited by https://chat.openai.com/ with original and suggested content.