Biden spent millions on ‘misinformation’ research. The details are even more disturbing than you think
'Misinformation' efforts by Biden-Harris White House included the creation of 'counter-messages'
By Justin Haskins Fox News
Published December 9, 2024 5:00am EST
A new report by Open the Books, a nonpartisan government watchdog, has revealed that since 2021, the Biden administration has spent hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on research related to "misinformation," a significant rise compared to the first Trump administration.
The increase in spending raises serious concerns about civil liberties and free speech online, especially on social media platforms, where much of the Biden administrations’ efforts were directed.
Since 2021, the Biden-Harris White House has spent at least $267 million on research grants and contracts related to "misinformation" or "disinformation."
During President-elect Donald Trump’s first term, the same federal agencies provided just $6.72 million on similar programs. That means the Biden administration increased federal spending on contracts and grants for misinformation by more than 3,800%.
Disturbing details On its own, the fact that the Biden-Harris administration has spent $267 million on misinformation grants and contracts is extremely disconcerting. The federal government shouldn’t be involved, directly or indirectly, in the fact-checking industry. Nor should it engage in efforts designed to limit the speech of citizens, particularly when taxpayers are the ones footing the bill.
But the cost and creation of these misinformation programs is just the tip of the iceberg. Open the Books conducted a detailed review of many of the programs, contracts and grants as part of its report, and I subsequently verified and expanded upon some of their findings.
What we found is clear evidence that the Biden-Harris White House used funds to support or develop Orwellian surveillance and propaganda strategies, create methods and tools to restrict speech online, and even to finance highly politicized reports critical of Trump.
For example, Open the Books reports that in 2022 the Department of Health and Human Services provided $2.3 million to the University of Pennsylvania for "investigating and identifying the heterogeneity in COVID-19 misinformation exposure on social media among black and rural communities to inform precision public health messaging" because "misinformation contributes to confusion, distrust, and distress around health behaviors such as vaccination, mask wearing, and social distancing."
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https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/biden-white-house-spent-267-million-misinformation-research-details-even-more-disturbing
