White House Confirms Pause Of Disinformation Governance Board Pending Assessment

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th May, 2022) The US Department of Homeland Security's new Disinformation Governance Board will pause any activities while the body undergoes review by experts to address concerns about free speech and transparency, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday.

"Yes, the board is pausing in the sense that it will not convene while former Secretary (Michael) Chertoff and former deputy AG (Jamie) Gorelick do their assessment," Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing.

The Department of Homeland Security in a statement on Wednesday said the board has been grossly and intentionally mischaracterized to be about censorship and policing speech.

The decision to suspend the disinformation board's activities came following criticism of both the board and its chief, Nina Jankowicz.

The board has been compared to the "Ministry of Truth" from George Orwell's totalitarian dystopia in the book "1984." Jankowicz, who drew attention after a video of her singing about disinformation to the tune of a "Mary Poppins" song went viral, drafted a resignation letter on Tuesday morning, according to US media reports.