Why is the U.S. Government's Response to Misinformation So Fractured?

In the wake of the Capitol insurrection on January 6, the federal government is scrambling to address the rising threat of extremism driven by online misinformation. In Congress, lawmakers are holding dozens of hearings and testimonies—and while there seems to be a growing desire to regulate the companies that have helped amplify radical content, there is no clear path forward. Meanwhile, There are a number of federal efforts to carry out and enforce laws across a number of issues that misinformation touches—from antitrust, to cybersecurity, to counterterrorism. But there is no centralized location within the government for experts to collaborate and share information; instead, the work happens in silos, and is often seen as unrelated from agency to agency.

The disconnectedness of this work harms the United States' ability to respond holistically to this problem set. This organizational map attempts to identify all of the stakeholders in the government's fight against misinformation and disinformation in order to imagine what a more holistic response might look like.