FEMA awarded $2.6M contract to consultancy firm Guidehouse Inc. in 2024 to "manage" online narratives

By bellecarter // 2025-02-24

Mastodon

Parler

Gab

Copy

In September 2024, FEMA, a sub-agency of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), awarded a contract to Guidehouse Inc. to analyze and combat misinformation, disinformation and malinformation, sparking debates about government-tech collaboration in speech regulation.
This contract was part of a growing trend where government agencies engage in managing online narratives through third-party intermediaries, raising significant questions about the implications for free speech and the transparency of these operations.
FEMA's involvement is notable because the DHS, under which it operates, has faced scrutiny for previous attempts to combat disinformation, including the ill-fated Disinformation Governance Board (DGB) in 2022 and its ties to the Election Integrity Partnership (EIP).
Guidehouse has been involved in direct collaboration with social media platforms to flag and report content deemed as misinformation, maintaining a proprietary database of flagged content and employing former intelligence community experts, which raises concerns about potential overreach and bias.
The partnership between FEMA and Guidehouse is seen as part of a broader pattern of collaboration between government agencies and tech companies to regulate online speech, which has been a focus of congressional investigations and lawsuits, especially following the 2020 election.

In September 2024, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded a $2.6 million contract to Guidehouse Inc., a consultancy firm owned by Bain Capital, to analyze and combat misinformation, disinformation and malinformation. This decision, detailed on the USASpending.gov website, has ignited renewed debates about the extent of collaboration between the U.S. government and tech companies in the realm of speech regulation. FEMA, a sub-agency of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is not typically associated with information control. However, this contract adds to a growing list of instances where government agencies have engaged in efforts to manage online narratives, often through third-party intermediaries. The contract, part of a larger pattern of government efforts to combat disinformation, raises significant questions about the implications for free speech and the transparency of these operations. (Related: Trump announces plans to OVERHAUL or ABOLISH FEMA.) FEMA's involvement in this initiative is particularly noteworthy because it operates under the DHS, an agency that has been under scrutiny for its previous attempts to combat disinformation. In 2022, the DHS launched the Disinformation Governance Board (DGB), which was later dissolved amid controversy and criticism. The DGB was intended to coordinate government efforts to address disinformation, but its opaque operations and potential overreach sparked concern among civil liberties advocates and lawmakers. The DHS has also been linked to the Election Integrity Partnership (EIP), which faced accusations of censoring political speech during the 2020 election. The House Committee on Homeland Security has referred to the practice of delegating speech regulation to third parties as "censorship laundering," highlighting the ethical and constitutional issues at stake. Guidehouse, the recipient of FEMA's contract, is no stranger to the world of information governance. According to a post on the company's website, which has since been deleted, Guidehouse engaged in direct collaboration with social media platforms to report and flag content deemed as misinformation for potential removal. This hands-on approach to content moderation extends beyond traditional government roles and into the realm of private-sector censorship. Guidehouse's methods included maintaining a proprietary internal database to track content labeled as misinformation and a list of "higher risk" websites. The company also boasted in-house experts, including former intelligence community veterans such as a former CIA chief of staff, to lend credibility to their efforts. These practices underscore the sophisticated and comprehensive nature of the operation, raising concerns about the potential for overreach and bias in content moderation.

The broader context: Big Government and Big Tech collusion

The FEMA- Guidehouse partnership is another piece in the puzzle of what many see as a broader collusion between government agencies and tech giants to regulate online speech. This collaboration has been a focal point of congressional investigations and lawsuits, particularly in the aftermath of the 2020 election. The involvement of entities like the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a British nonprofit known for its aggressive stance against platforms like Twitter, further complicates the narrative. In 2024, a Guidehouse contractor working for the U.S. Department of State attended an exclusive, invite-only gala hosted by the CCDH. This event, which was widely reported, brought together key players in the anti-disinformation movement, including government contractors and tech industry representatives. The presence of these individuals at such events highlights the interconnected nature of these efforts and the potential for conflicts of interest. The FEMA contract with Guidehouse Inc. represents a significant step in the ongoing efforts to combat disinformation and misinformation in the United States. However, it also raises critical questions about the role of government agencies in regulating speech and the ethical implications of delegating such responsibilities to private entities. As the debate over free speech and information governance continues, the transparency and accountability of these operations will remain a central concern for policymakers and the public alike. Head over to Censorship.news for news related to this. Watch the video below where DHS Sec. Kristi Noem says that Trump has the authority and should shutter FEMA. This video is from the InfoWarSSideBand channel on Brighteon.com.

CITIZENS NEWS

The broader context: Big Government and Big Tech collusion

More related stories:

Sources include: