Homeland Security says online misinformation is an ongoing terror threat

Biden-Harris Administration taking steps to tamp down public distrust of government

By
Suzanne Downing
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33

 Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas issued a National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin regarding the continued heightened threat environment across the United States.  In it, the agency became even more specific about the threat of misinformation and disinformation online, related to Covid, and other matters.

“The United States remains in a heightened threat environment fueled by several factors, including an online environment filled with false or misleading narratives and conspiracy theories, and other forms of mis- dis- and mal-information (MDM) introduced and/or amplified by foreign and domestic threat actors. These threat actors seek to exacerbate societal friction to sow discord and undermine public trust in government institutions to encourage unrest, which could potentially inspire acts of violence. Mass casualty attacks and other acts of targeted violence conducted by lone offenders and small groups acting in furtherance of ideological beliefs and/or personal grievances pose an ongoing threat to the nation,” DHS wrote in its summary.

This is the fifth NTAS Bulletin issued by the Department of Homeland Security since January 2021 and it replaces the current Bulletin that was expired on Wednesday. Previously, the agency had warned about violence that might occur as a result of lockdowns.

DHS: Terrorism and grievance-based violence is a post-lockdown threat

“While the conditions underlying the heightened threat landscape have not significantly changed over the last year, the convergence of the following factors has increased the volatility, unpredictability, and complexity of the threat environment: (1) the proliferation of false or misleading narratives, which sow discord or undermine public trust in U.S. government institutions; (2) continued calls for violence directed at U.S. critical infrastructure; soft targets and mass gatherings; faith-based institutions, such as churches, synagogues, and mosques; institutions of higher education; racial and religious minorities; government facilities and personnel, including law enforcement and the military; the media; and perceived ideological opponents; and (3) calls by foreign terrorist organizations for attacks on the United States based on recent events,” the bulletin says.  

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, DHS is prioritizing combating all forms of terrorism and targeted violence, including through its efforts to support the first-ever National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism. Since January 2021, DHS has taken several steps in this regard, including:    

  • established a new domestic terrorism branch within DHS’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis dedicated to producing sound, timely intelligence needed to counter domestic terrorism-related threats;   
  • launched the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) to provide communities with resources and tools to help prevent individuals from radicalizing to violence;   
  • designated domestic violent extremism as a “National Priority Area” within DHS’s Homeland Security Grant Program for the first time, resulting in at least $77 million being spent on preventing, preparing for, protecting against, and responding to related threats nationwide;   
  • provided $180 million in funding to support target hardening and other physical security enhancements to non-profit organizations at high risk of terrorist attack through DHS’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP);   
  • increased efforts to identify and evaluate MDM, including false or misleading narratives and conspiracy theories spread on social media and other online platforms, that endorse violence; and,   
  • enhanced collaboration with public and private sector partners – including U.S. critical infrastructure owners and operators – to better protect our cyber and physical infrastructure and increase the Nation’s cybersecurity through the Department’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

33 COMMENTS

  1. And now the FBI/CIA/NSA or other secretive government entities will stage an epic “terrorist” attack by setting up some poor, unsuspecting Muslim teenager to commit a crime, or they will completely stage it themselves and make it look like “Russia, Russia, Russia” did it. Or the bureau of land management will try to kill a bunch of cattle ranchers? Or Janet Reno will burn up a bunch of innocent Christians in a building? or Ruby Ridge? Or the FBI will bust some senator or homemaker for tax “structuring” or bust somebody for something never did. Yes, I don’t trust the government. JFK? Martin Luther King? Ted Stevens? Joe Miller? Martha Stewart? All victims of their own government’s chicanery. And there are thousands more examples. Drug smuggling? Gun running? American ambassadors and military men being slaughtered. Pallets of cash going to Middle Eastern countries? Faked, fraud elections? Hilary & Bill Clinton are still not in jail? While Hillary chuckles about killing a foreign leader? Biden is not only not in jail, we are supposed to believe he is our president? And I haven’t even mentioned the government’s COVID lies. Our government is one BIG LIE! Yes, like Obamas pastor said, “your chickens have come home to roost!”

    • Let’s face it, the US fe(de)ral government has lost all credibility, and all legitimacy.
      .
      If they want a real insurrection, then let’s be done with it already. I refuse to continue living in this madhouse of self-righteous authoritarianism, medical fascism, hypochondriacal hysteria, corporate censorship and suppression of free speech, and preening, strutting, bullying political correctness run amok.

  2. “the proliferation of false or misleading narratives, which sow discord or undermine public trust in U.S. government institutions” This clearly means the PBS Newshour with Judy Woodruff. In Alaska no government institution has undermined public trust more than the National Park Service, but thanks to John Sturgeon and the US Supreme Court there has been pushback.

    “continued calls for violence directed at U.S. critical infrastructure; soft targets and mass gatherings; faith-based institutions, such as churches, synagogues, and mosques; institutions of higher education; racial and religious minorities government facilities and personnel, including law enforcement and the military; the media; and perceived ideological opponents” This brings to mind the black lives matter movement, and over the years the tree spiking of environmental groups have also practiced and promoted violence. Thankfully we haven’t had much of that in Alaska. I hope the Biden people recognize that having constitutional carry is the best protection Alaskans, or any Americans, can hope for.

    “calls by foreign terrorist organizations for attacks on the United States based on recent events” This is likely the Mohammedan organizations that promote and practice mayhem in the US, Israel, Europe and elsewhere. Perhaps because of constitutional carry, as mentioned above, we don’t fear foreign terrorists here in Alaska.

  3. This is what “democracy” looks like to the far left. Silencing dissent with the threat of government sanctions.

    If you like this, you’ll love what they do next. Yellow armbands, anyone?

    You voted for this, America. Happy?

  5. I suggest the start by looking up John Seymour, Whidbey the dog, Frank Rast, Greg Forkner, Evan Sing, Chris Constant, Suzanne La France, Felix Rivera, Megan Zaletel…….that’s a pretty good list of cooks, crackpots, hippies and liberals that terrorize MRAK and Anchorage pretty much daily.

    • I totally agree with you there. I’m sick of listening to all of their liberal GARBAGE on MRAK! Thank you for saying what most of us were thinking!

      • Actually, ARU, I welcome all those leftist trolls here on MRAK! Their presence here serves to highlight the intellectual and moral bankruptcy of the contemporary neo-fascist radical left, while sharpening our own debating and rhetorical skills in rebutting their self-righteous foolishness and nonsense. They also giving us an insight into the depravity and insanity that passes for political opinion in their camp.

  7. If Homeland Security thinks online Covid misinformation is such a problem than why haven’t they shut down the CDC & Fauci?

  8. Based on conditions along the southern border, few people have less credibility than Secretary Mayorkas. His failure to enforce the law is absolutely criminal. He should be impeached and removed from office. Beyond that, he appears to be an absolute liar and not even a nice person.

  9. The Japanese, under Emperor Hirohito, used these exact measures when they took over a society like the Phillipines. Hitler did the same with the Jews and their sympathizers, Pol Pot in Cambodia, Castro in Cuba. Now the Chinese with their dissidents and even some Olympic athletes. This is a coordinated effort.

  10. Nobody should be encouraging violence.
    Is it not a constitutional right to freely think, associate with, exchange ideas, and voice our grievances, to agree or disagree with whomever Americans desire? I believe it’s called free speech, amongst many other rights under the constitution?
    Is the US government the arbitor of truth?
    Where is your Congressional delegation position on this?
    Does this look like a desperate attempt?
    Thanks for sharing MRA.

    • You certainly have the right to think freely, exchange ideas, voice grievances, et., etc, but you do not have the right to impose your ideas on all of the rest of us. That’s where free speech ends.
      For further reference, watch the videos of the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol. That is NOT free speech, that is insurrection. Not all of us think that’s the way things should be done.
      Just sayin’.

  12. So if I have a different opinion than my government and I voice it, I’m now a domestic terrorist. Even if I back that opinion with facts, partial or whole, I’m a domestic terrorist for sharing that opinion for others to research and come to their own conclusion. Yup, another blow to our republic.

  14. The good news is all you have to do is read such statements with the realization that the opposite is probably closer to true. Makes it simple.

    • What is funny is that the same people made both statements . Howard stern. Neil young and others who were saying “question authority” are now trying to cancel those who actually do question authority. They’ve gone totally mad.

  17. The only terrorist threat I see is the federal government. When DHS is making deals with the Mexican drug cartels for safe passage of illegal aliens and then flying those illegals on charter flights to cities around the country, we have a internal terrorist problem. When “dr” fauci laundered grant money and had it sent to china’s wuhan bio-weapons lab for gain of function “testing” (bio-weapon creation), then lied to congress and covered up to include using burner phones; we have a serious internal terrorist problem. When you have big pharma companies that hide behind immunity from lawsuits over vaccination side effects and hospitals intentionally murdering patients for government kick-backs, we have a internal terrorist problem. When the capital “police” (gestapo) are caught breaking into congressmen’s offices for intelligence gathering and only answer to speaker of the house pelosi, we have a serious internal terrorist problem.

  18. (1) the proliferation of false or misleading narratives, which sow discord or undermine public trust in U.S. government institutions;

    Is the government going to charge itself with terrorism?

  20. This attitude is partly to blame for the prolonged duration of this entire affair. Instead of bringing people from all different areas together to find a better solution, anything that did not comport with the “official” narrative, was labeled and dismissed. Sadly this leads to circular group think and two years later we are still wearing masks that do not work, being pushed a vaccine that does not keep you from getting sick and passing it on and offered home test (made in China thank you very much) that have questionable reliability in cold weather. There is ample evidence that lock-downs did nothing and indirectly contributed to the increased virus mutation. This is governmental overreach stupidity! Our mistake was unquestioning compliance with governmental edicts, instead of telling them “NO”. The one reason the USA has been so successful for so many is precisely because all can voice an opinion, be heard and evaluated. Today you can be fired for a tweet. Truly the first amendment is on life support and DHS is ready to pull the plug!

  21. Once again, accusing normal people of doing what they themselves are doing, a favorite tactic of the left. They’ve clearly outlined their strategy.

  22. Lovely byproduct of the Patriot Act … we kissed all of our rights goodbye when we allowed it to become a thing.

    • I admit, I wasn’t against the Patriot Act at the time because they promised that it would only be used against foreign terrorists. Boy was I wrong.

  23. This would be the same “Homeland Security” seemingly okay with criminals pouring over America’s southern border, fentanyl pouring over America’s southern border, illegal aliens boarding airplanes with nothing more than their arrest warrants, buying top of the line Israeli spyware to spy on Americans, using the FBI to attempt to overthrow a sitting American president with a fake Russian dossier, suppressing criticism of official China Flu Policy, and now… suppressing Americans’ Constitutionally protected freedom of speech.
    .
    Who needs “misinformation” whatever that is? You can’t make this stuff up.
    .
    Suppose hell freezes over causing the radical Left to lose control of Congress after midterms, will anything change?

  24. And people thought some of us were crazy 20 years ago when we said, that the then new DHS was an internal security apparatus that would be turned inward on the citizenry for dark purposes. “Oh we need it to keep us safe,” was the reply. Well, here we are 20 years later. How do you like us now? Enjoy your “safety”.

  25. Well! That is the most unamerican thing to say, when the government care what we think about it. Public discourse is vital to maintaining our republic. What happens when a couple stops talking? They divorce. That will be onset of a civil war.

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