COVID–19 Misinformation and Disinformation Task Force Act of 2020

COVID-19 Misinformation and Disinformation Task Force Act of 2020

This bill establishes an interagency COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) misinformation and disinformation task force.

The task force shall include a representative from not less than one agency that regularly engages with racial or ethnic minority communities, rural communities, and other underserved populations.

The functions of the task force shall be

• coordinating the analysis of COVID-19 misinformation and disinformation by agencies across the federal government,
• developing integrated analyses of COVID-19 misinformation and disinformation in a manner that protects individual privacy and civil liberties,
• coordinating the dissemination to federal agencies and the White House Coronavirus Task Force of analyses developed by individual agencies and integrated analyses, and
• developing and disseminating information literacy and information resilience public awareness campaigns relating to pandemics.

The task force shall (1) ensure that the activities of the task force advance a compelling government interest related to COVID-19 misinformation and disinformation, (2) ensure that the activities of the task force are narrowly tailored to advance that interest while minimizing impacts on speech and expression that is not COVID-19 misinformation and disinformation, and (3) create procedures and internal policies that document the implications.

The bill provides for (1) privacy and civil liberties oversight by the Department of Homeland Security, congressional briefings, and a public report; and (2) coordinated messaging.