U.S. abolishes anti-disinformation council

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has abolished the Disinformation Countermeasures Council, the decision to create which earlier provoked a wave of criticism in the country.

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“In accordance with the previous recommendation of the Homeland Security Advisory Board, the head of the DHS, Alejandro Mallorcas, by his decision abolished the council to counter disinformation and annulled its charter,” the US agency said in a statement.

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The decision came into force on 24 August.
The establishment of such a council in the United States was announced by the DHS this spring. It was assumed that this structure within the US department would coordinate activities to combat disinformation and protect freedom of speech. However, a number of representatives of the US Republican Party severely criticized this council, seeing in its work a mechanism for state censorship and suppression of freedom of speech.