Yesterday an article stating that “DHS is standing up a new Disinformation Governance Board to coordinate countering misinformation” became the “scooplet” heard around the country. In fact, despite hundreds of news article stating that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had issued a statement yesterday stating that “The spread of disinformation can affect border security, Americans’ safety during disasters, and public trust in our democratic institutions,” was the reason for creating such a “Disinformation Governance Board”, no such sentiment uttered by DHS itself could be found. Anywhere. Unless you were watching C-SPAN.

A new proposal by the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) division would revise their current information collection system for foreigners applying to enter the United States by requesting information about the individual’s Facebook, Twitter, and other social media accounts. CBP is proposing that “Please enter information associated with your online presence – Provider/Platform – Social media identifier” be added to the applications for entry to the U.S..

A new iPhone and Android app, FlyRights (not FlyRight, which is confusingly another iPhone application which allows you to use social media to provide feedback to the airlines) allows users who feel that they have been the the victim of racial profiling by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to immediately – on the spot – file a complaint (via the FlyRights app – hence “Fly Rights”) with both the TSA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

When you’re going through the security gates at an airport, you’re most likely resigned to the fact that your bag will be searched, regardless of whether there is a reason to do so.   But what about your computer, laptop, or cell phone, with the overwhelming amount of personal information it contains – do you expect that to be searched?  You should, as Lisa Wayne found out the hard way when her laptop was whisked away and subjected to a half-hour search.  It turns out this is fairly routine.  Now a law suit has been filed by Wayne and others to out a halt to this practice (some would say ‘abuse’) by the TSA and Department of Homeland Security (DHS).