Maybe not (?) but this is what I saw under Title V, Section 501 (e) Duties:
The duties of the committee established by subsection (b) shall be as follows:
(1) To counter active measures by Russia to exert covert influence, including by exposing falsehoods, agents of influence, corruption, human rights abuses, terrorism, and assassinations carried out by the security services or political elites of the Russian Federation or their proxies.
(2) Such other duties as the President may designate for purposes of this section.
Hmmm, doesn't "counter active measures by Russia" sound like actions, and more than just turning over rocks and reporting what they found? Also seems to leave the door wide open to whatever penalties the President would like to add on top.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for limiting Russian influence over ANYTHING going on in the US. But I also don't think the Drudge Report, and many other independent journalists who print stories contrary to the MSM are all doing it at the behest of Russia, as the Washington Post and others have been claiming.
What I meant is that the legislation does not grant punitive authority to the government to shut down websites like the 200 on Mr. Durden’s list. The government gobeltygoop laws passes by our esteemed overlords are commonly stacked with similar language.
It’s nothing more than CYA lawyer-speak that has no teeth or direct meaning. What is tiring, is the constant BS assumption that that everyone is out to get you (us) by blowing up some vague language into an unsubstantiated assault against certain websites.
As for the Russian, Chinese, Cuban, Saudi, Israeli , British, Canadian...propagandists, they’re already here, my friend. See your friendly neighborhood university. I say let them speak. Let them speak looooouuud and long. That’s exectly what they’ve been doing since the 1960’s, and look where we are. Common sense Trumps the all the BS.
I firmly believe that any attempts to lean on this “law” to shut down free speech is going to run into a First Amendment brick wall. Have faith, my friend, we’re in God’s hands.
BTW. When was the last time Drudge authored a story under his own name, if at all in the recent past. Just remind anyone who says that Drudge puts out propaganda that they are somewhat correct since he links AP stories from various websites on a daily basis.