Bill Overview
Title: To prohibit the use of Federal funds to establish or carry out the activities of a Disinformation Governance Board of the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes.
Description: This bill prohibits the use of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funds to carry out the activities of a Disinformation Governance Board or to establish or carry out the activities of any other DHS entity that is substantially similar to the board.
Sponsors: Rep. McCarthy, Kevin [R-CA-23]
Target Audience
Population: Global citizens potentially engaged with US-originated media and information systems
Estimated Size: 330000000
- The bill impacts the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by restricting its ability to fund certain activities.
- The board's intended purpose is to manage or comment on public information, which could influence a wide range of information channels and citizens.
- A Disinformation Governance Board could influence media and communications industries, as it may regulate disinformation through various platforms.
- Citizens engaging with news and social media could be impacted by changes in disinformation governance, potentially altering the information they receive.
Reasoning
- The prohibition of funding the Disinformation Governance Board does not directly impact individual citizens' finances, employment, or immediate living conditions, hence its impact is mostly indirect.
- The primary impact of this policy comes from altering the regulatory environment regarding information governance, which may influence the type and quality of information citizens receive.
- The implications of changes in disinformation governance are more profound in the long term, affecting citizens' trust in media and public institutions.
- The wide-ranging nature of the potential information impacted means that a large number of citizens could be indirectly affected, even if the individual impact is minimal.
Simulated Interviews
Journalist (New York, NY)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Having an oversight body for disinformation felt reassuring, as it offered a layer of accountability for the information we put out.
- Without any governance board, I worry about misinformation spreading unchecked.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 6 |
Social Media Manager (Des Moines, IA)
Age: 42 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm concerned about the spread of fake news online; a board could have helped control that.
- The less intervention from the government, the better, some might say, but it can also lead to chaos in information dissemination.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Software Engineer (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 28 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This decision makes me worry about the long-term tech liability and user trust issues at my company.
- It feels like we are losing a potential ally in fighting disinformation.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 6 |
Retired School Teacher (Houston, TX)
Age: 55 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I like to stay informed, and felt safer knowing there was some oversight on the information we receive.
- Now, it seems like we're back to the wild west of misinformation.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 6 |
Political Analyst (Chicago, IL)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Removing this board means less organized tracking and addressing of disinformation.
- Media could be more prone to unchecked biases and falsehoods without such measures in place.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 6 |
University Student (Seattle, WA)
Age: 23 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I feel more anxious about the validity of the news I consume.
- Oversight bodies could have helped educate the public against misinformation.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 7 |
Farmer (Rural Kentucky)
Age: 62 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm not an internet person, so I don't really mind the change too much right now.
- I do wonder if this will affect the accuracy of the information I hear, but I trust the radio.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Healthcare Worker (Boston, MA)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I am worried about what this means for misinformation during health crises.
- Without oversight, false information might spread more easily, which is scary.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 6 |
Digital Content Creator (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 48 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The decision eliminates a check against false narratives.
- I fear how this might lead to decreased credibility for independent content creators amidst disinformation.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 6 |
Government Employee (Miami, FL)
Age: 58 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The removal of this board may simplify some things bureaucratically, but complicate public trust issues.
- The balancing act between governance and freedom of speech is delicate; without a board, we might tip it off balance.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 2: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 3: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 5: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- This policy reflects a choice about the scope and role of federal governance over information management.
- The bill has implications for the perceived authority of DHS in handling issues related to disinformation.
- There is a potential for indirect impacts on public trust and media sentiment, though these are challenging to quantify in dollar terms.