Since February 2nd, a series of executive orders in the United States has led to the removal of thousands of webpages and datasets from various government agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This situation has also impacted community programs like Head Start. The changes were implemented at an alarming speed, as officials were given only two days to make these modifications, in accordance with a memo from the Office of Personnel Management referencing a recent executive order focused on eliminating references to transgender individuals and restricting the use of inclusive terminology related to sex and gender.
This governmental censorship has resulted in the removal of identities from multiple websites and resources, as well as essential scientific research, creating significant concern for access to vital information. The situation jeopardizes the availability of research addressing critical issues, from public health problems to the devastating effects of climate change.
In response to the abrupt loss of this information, a diverse group of technologists, scholars, and open access organizations has taken on the task of preserving and archiving the data that was previously available. Although the deadline specified in the memo has passed, efforts to recover this information continue. Institutions like the Internet Archive are providing indispensable tools to address what has been described as “memory holes,” allowing citizens to archive online content.
Changes to government websites are common after a change in administration, but the magnitude of this information removal raises serious doubts about the future of critical medical research and environmental data. Additionally, the work of academics and libraries is crucial in safeguarding established science and preserving historical public data records.
The impact of these executive orders extends beyond the deleted webpages. For example, the removal of information from the CDC includes crucial scientific data, and those committed to supporting this unreleased research still have alternative avenues to do so. The community of independent archivists has also organized to ensure that previously accessible public datasets are preserved, preventing their loss and ensuring their availability for future research.
This scenario underscores the importance of promoting access to information and resisting governmental censorship. Groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) have warned of the dangers of such censorship, particularly when uncomfortable truths are erased, which can severely harm vulnerable communities and threaten overall well-being.
Source: MiMub in Spanish
