US watchdog's election security work halted following Trump executive order on 'censorship'

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has suspended all its election security work and is conducting a comprehensive review of its activities in this area over the past eight years, according to an internal memo review by Wired.

This action is seen as the first major instance of the agency aligning with President Donald Trump's unfounded claims of election fraud and online censorship.

CISA's acting director, Bridget Bean, has ordered "a review and assessment" of all election security-related positions and activities since 2017, when election systems were designated as critical infrastructure. Bean stated, "CISA will pause all elections security activities until the completion of this review," and the agency is also halting funding for related activities at the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing & Analysis Center.

The review, set to conclude on March 6, is being justified under the rubric of Trump's January 20 executive order on "ending federal censorship."

According to Wired, Bean's memo indicates that the review will cover all aspects of CISA's election security work, including employee performance plans, support services, and guidance. The agency will report to the White House on how it plans to "deliver a more focused provision of services for elections security activities," with goals including streamlining services and aligning with its "mandate to refocus" on core missions.

This shift in CISA's operations reflects the growing conservative criticism of the agency's work [PDF] on misinformation and disinformation, with some Republicans labeling it as "the nerve center of the federal government's domestic surveillance and censorship operations on social media." The move has raised concerns about the future of election security efforts and the potential impact on the integrity of future elections.

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