President-elect Donald Trump vowed to dismantle what he calls a "censorship cartel" as a new report shows combating "misinformation" has cost taxpayers $267 million, the New York Post reported.
"...There is now a global network of groups and individuals making serious money on limiting the speech of others," Legal scholar Jonathan Turley posted on X on Monday. "Censorship is not just a political movement; it is a business plan."
OpenTheBooks' report shows that funding for universities, nonprofits, and private companies peaked at $126 million in 2021, coinciding with the Biden administration's COVID-19 public health mandates. Critics argue that such measures, later deemed to lack scientific basis, highlight the dangers of government overreach in controlling narratives.
"When it comes to government spending, the truth is often stranger than fiction," said Vivek Ramaswamy, who along with Elon Musk will lead of the Department of Government Efficiency.
"We're gearing up to fix the egregious waste of taxpayer dollars," Ramaswamy said.
Advocates for misinformation research claim it is critical for public health and safety, pointing to efforts to dispel vaccine hesitancy and combat false claims. Biden has been vocal on the issue, once accusing social media platforms of "killing people" by allowing anti-vaccine narratives.
Critics, including OpenTheBooks, allege the administration pressured social media companies like Facebook and Twitter to censor posts, including satire, about the pandemic. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged in August that senior White House officials had repeatedly urged his platform to suppress COVID-19-related content.
The Department of Health and Human Services was the largest spender, contributing more than two-thirds of the total. Other agencies, including the National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense, also funded misinformation-related studies on topics ranging from climate change to political polarization.
Among the recipients, the City University of New York received $3.6 million to study how digital narratives could reduce misinformation exposure among people with mental health conditions. George Washington University was awarded $5 million to research the impacts of misinformation on journalists and scientists.
Other grants ventured into unconventional territory, including a $250,000 project to deploy online "escape rooms" in public libraries to educate participants about misinformation.
At the same time, funding for misinformation studies became politically contentious. For example, a $200,000 project at George Washington University examined how populist leaders like Trump may have fueled pandemic misinformation and public distrust. OpenTheBooks decried such studies as using public funds to "slander" political figures.
Trump has promised sweeping changes to federal misinformation policies. Shortly after his election, Trump declared his intent to "dismantle and destroy" government efforts to regulate speech.
"Within hours of my inauguration, I will sign an executive order banning any federal department or agency from colluding with any organization ... to censor or impede the lawful speech of American citizens," Trump said in a policy video.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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