Mike Benz

Date: 2026-02-03 | Duration: 2h 39m

Episode Overview

Mike Benz offers a detailed exploration of the complex machinery behind modern information control, focusing on the intersection of government agencies, private sector actors, and civil society in shaping online discourse. Drawing from his experience advising on technology and running a cyber division within the State Department, Benz outlines how censorship and counter-disinformation efforts have evolved into a sprawling, coordinated industry. He highlights key moments such as the 2016 U.S. election and the Trump presidency, illustrating how these events accelerated government intervention in social media platforms under the guise of protecting democracy from foreign influence and misinformation. Benz also delves into the geopolitical dimensions of information warfare, particularly U.S. involvement in Ukraine and the role of organizations like the National Endowment for Democracy in funding media and political influence abroad. He discusses how Western institutions have sought to counter Russian narratives while simultaneously managing internal political dissent through censorship and narrative control. The conversation touches on the challenges posed by academic and government-funded “disinformation studies” programs, which Benz critiques for their role in legitimizing extensive surveillance and content moderation efforts. Throughout, Benz emphasizes the need for a “whole of society” approach to information integrity, warning against top-down censorship models that risk undermining democratic principles.

About Mike Benz

Mike Benz is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Freedom Online, where he champions digital rights and free speech in an era of increasing online censorship. With a background as a former official at the U.S. Department of State, Benz brings extensive experience in navigating the complexities of internet governance and international policy. He is known for his advocacy in promoting transparency and accountability in online platforms, making him a pivotal voice in the ongoing debate about the future of free expression in the digital age. His insights and expertise make him a compelling figure in the fight against censorship and a noteworthy guest on the Joe Rogan Experience.

Key Moments

– Cybersecurity
– Censorship
– Disinformation
– Social Media Regulation
– State Department Influence
– Election Interference
– Information Integrity
– National Endowment for Democracy
– Intelligence Community
– Media Manipulation
– Geopolitics
– Ukraine Conflict
– Government Surveillance
– Propaganda
– Technology Policy
– Public Health Communication
– Political Polarization
– NATO
– Soft Power
– AI and Misinformation Detection
0:00:33 – Introduction to Ministry and Cyber Division Role
0:01:46 – Overview of the Censorship Industry
0:03:33 – Promotion of Free Speech on Early Internet
0:05:12 – Referendum and Russian Federation Annexation
0:06:14 – Media Takeover Attempts in NATO Countries
0:07:12 – Intelligence Control Over Social Media
0:08:07 – Timeline Leading to Elon Musk's Purchase of X
0:10:06 – Ministry of Truth and Orwellian Fears
0:11:22 – Cybersecurity Agency in DHS and Threat Flagging
0:14:15 – State Department's Election Control Strategies
0:15:30 – Internet Freedom and Trump's Censorship
0:17:41 – State Department's Back Channel During Trump Era
0:19:10 – Censorship Center and Time Magazine Editor's Insights
0:22:22 – 2016 Elections and Censorship Funding
0:24:11 – End of Russiagate and Political Fallout
0:26:56 – Censorship Justified as Democracy Defense
0:30:03 – Consensus Building Among Institutions
0:33:14 – 2014 Ukraine Coup and Zelensky's Rise
0:36:21 – National Endowment for Democracy's Influence
0:41:01 – Rise of Right Wing Populists and Energy Politics
0:44:43 – State Department's Role in Capacity Building
0:48:26 – Social Media Restrictions Since 2014
0:51:55 – Bipartisan Opposition to Trump
0:53:52 – Conflict Between Elon Musk and Intelligence Community
0:56:25 – Election Monitoring Strategies and EMBs
1:00:58 – Cybersecurity Turn and DHS Internal Meeting
1:03:03 – Disinformation Studies in US Universities
1:05:46 – Whole of Society Approach to Information Integrity
1:08:08 – Military Technology Dual Use History
1:10:17 – Social Media Policies on Harmful Misinformation
1:13:08 – COVID-19's Impact on Misinformation Perception
1:16:38 – Pentagon's Role in Information Shaping
1:21:33 – CIA Funding for Disinformation Research
1:23:07 – NATO Training for Journalists and Fact-Checkers
1:26:22 – Atlantic Council as NATO's Think Tank
1:34:14 – Internet Gag Orders and Low Information Voters
1:39:05 – Arizona State University Narrative Research
1:44:52 – Never Trump GOP and Disinformation
1:50:31 – Social Media Reporting and Takedown Processes
2:00:02 – 2016 Trump Victory and European Government Reactions
2:12:18 – CIA's Role in Opening Russia
2:30:11 – Strategic Importance of Donbass Region
2:37:36 – Joint Chiefs of Staff Influence in Policy
2:43:32 – Personal Inspirations and Closing Remarks

Transcript Excerpt

Starting point is 00:00:01 Joe Rogan podcast checking out. The Joe Rogan Experience. Train by day, Joe Rogan podcast by night, all day. What a day to have you in here, buddy. Kid in a candy shop. We hacked the government. We hacked the government's files, evident. I mean, we have three and a half million files that it feels like we should not have. Starting point is 00:00:27 It would have been great to have had seven years ago in 2019 when this was being litigated. But it's an incredible moment of transparency for. for how the world works, how governments interact with the private sector and funds. And it's just really cool to be a part of it. What was the holdup? What was the, because it seemed like there was a lot of people that did not want these files released. Yeah. I thought about this a lot. Starting point is 00:00:55 What we have access to now are internal documents from the Justice Department and the FBI that are normally, even though they're not classified, they are part of a criminal investigation, and so they're not normally disclosable to the public. It could be the case that it kind of required a congressional bill to force this out. Like when you, if there's a internal investigation and it's not a part of a court document that's entered into evidence, you can't just foyer the Justice Department to get dirt on your political enemies because you think that they might be involved in something. Now, I don't know if it could have been done through an executive order around Epstein transparency, around the time of the first binders. Starting point is 00:01:42 Certainly, it looked like there was friction between the president and Thomas Massey over this issue. But I don't know the details of what went down there. But the fact is, the bill passed 427 to 1 in the House. Who's the one? My recollection is that it was Randy Fine, but I might be wrong on that, so I don't want to smear or imply anything on doing. There was one person that didn't want it released b...

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Mike Benz was the guest on JRE #2447. This page includes the episode overview, topics discussed, and related resources.

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On Joe Rogan Experience #2447 with Mike Benz, topics include Cybersecurity, Censorship, Disinformation, and Social Media Regulation.

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