Mike Benz

Michael Benz is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Freedom Online. Previously, Mr. Benz served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Communications and Information Technology at the U.S. Department of State. Follow him on Twitter @FFO_Freedom.

Newsmax: Rob Schmitt Tonight with Seb Gorka Guest Host 7/7/23

Mike appeared on Rob Schmitt’s show with guest host Seb Gorka to discuss the a court decision on July 4th that stopped the Biden Administration from communicating with social media companies for censorship operations. Two state Attorneys General brought the lawsuit, and the decision has already been appealed by the Biden Administration. Mike has said…

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Censorship’s Permanent Home In Academia: Harvard Journal Bragged ‘Mis/Disinfo Studies’ Is ‘Too Big to Fail’

SUMMARY Harvard’s in-house censorship journal published an article declaring the field of “mis- and disinformation studies” to be “too big to fail” and “here to stay.”​ Citing government funding to academic departments who study how to optimize online censorship, the Harvard magazine embraced language from the 2008 financial crisis language reserved for major banks. The…

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Political Police? New Docs Show DHS Program To Target “Middle-Aged Pro Life Advocates” and “Budding Conspiracy Theorists” Under Guise Of “Deradicalization”

SUMMARY Newly obtained FOIA documents from America First Legal reveal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to produce training videos that get “bystanders” to intervene against “radicalization” of their peers.​ DHS targeted “suburban Moms” with pro-life beliefs and “old high school friends” who believe in “conspiracies” as examples of radicalized citizens in need of bystander…

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Pentagon-Funded Censorship Firm Graphika Began Monitoring Covid “Disinfo” On Dec. 16, 2019 – Two Weeks Before WHO Knew Covid Existed

SUMMARY Graphika, a company that monitors online communities for government agencies, began collecting data on social media users sharing “disinformation” about Covid-19 two weeks before the World Health Organization even knew of an outbreak.​ The private firm, which has received millions in Pentagon grants and contracts, targeted “US right-wing” communities as the top disinfo threat,…

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US Gov’t Funding ‘Disinformation’ Video Game ‘Cat Park,’ Leaked State Dept Memo Reveals

SUMMARY The US gov’t produced a cat-themed “disinformation” video game to “inoculate” young people against populist news content. The game aspires to create a “psychological vaccination against fake news” in those surfing social media. The US and UK gov’ts plan to embed the game in local schools and educational curricula around the world, especially “ahead…

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