A coalition of 48 nonprofit groups has publicly demanded that the Biden-Harris administration take action to stop the spread of disinformation in the United States. Disinformation poses a fundamental and intersectional threat to progress on almost every challenge facing the new administration, such as controlling the coronavirus pandemic and reversing the effects of climate change. DemCast USA is proud to have signed on to the open letter sent to the Biden transition team on December 21.
President Obama recently identified the lack of common facts as the “single biggest threat” to US democracy. In a similar vein, Axios points out that not only has misinformation on social media harmed our democracy, it also has “led to an upsurge in conspiracy theories on everything from the 2020 election results to how COVID-19 spreads.” The coalition prioritizes the need for leadership, expertise, and mutual effort, from the Oval Office down to departments and agencies across the government.
It will be exceedingly difficult to build consensus and enact the administration’s ambitious agenda when the American people are not merely polarized, but living in disparate realities with warring sets of facts.”
Open Letter to the Biden-Harris Administration: Treating Disinformation as an Intersectional Threat
The letter also includes a set of specific transformational policy proposals, like addressing online voter suppression through the Voting Rights Act, empowering the FEC to take stronger action against election disinformation in digital ads, and launching a website to debunk rumors about COVID. These proposals make clear that stopping the spread of disinformation is not a tech issue but one with real-world implications and solutions. This work is a necessity to ensure the health of our democracy and the Biden administration’s ability to enact meaningful change in the country.
The Digital Deception Coalition, a group of leading advocacy organizations working to fight disinformation particularly though legislation and policy reform, organized this effort.
Please join us and add your name to the open letter right here.