Annalee Newitz 🍜
Made this helpful little graphic after reading a recent issue of
Judd Legum's newsletter, where he and Rebecca Crosby wrote about how DOGE has pushed the NSA to delete internal and external web pages (i.e., digital documents) that contained any of these 27 words. Please share widely. https://popular.info/p/the-nsas-big-delete
The NSA's "Big Delete"

Today, the National Security Agency (NSA) is planning a "Big Delete" of websites and internal network content that contain any of 27 banned words, including "privilege," "bias," and "inclusion." The "Big Delete," according to an NSA source and internal correspondence reviewed by Popular Information, is creating unintended consequences.

Popular Information
Feb 12, 2025 at 12:26amWeb
Show threadAnnalee Newitz 🍜Feb 12, 2025
Especially creepy is the deletion of anything mentioning "equality," which is sort of an American value. Also, "privilege," which is a term of art in security and is no doubt on a million NSA docs.
Show threadJohn AppelFeb 12, 2025
@annaleen “Confirmation bias” is also an important concept in intelligence analysis.
Show threadLoose Leaf QueerFeb 12, 2025
@annaleen
*can't wait* to see what this does to all the NIST guidance. 😱
Show threadAngus McIntyreFeb 12, 2025

@annaleen The photograph of a man painting over a wall on which was printed, among other words, “integrity" really spoke volumes.

I imagine they plan to replace all the other virtues that they painted over with the single word "obedience”.

Show threadɹ uɐp Feb 12, 2025
@angusm @annaleen yes that was really something almost like a They Live situation
Show threadBruce Heerssen Feb 12, 2025
@dannotdaniel @angusm @annaleen
I imagine that flat grey is a primer, but I hope they left it that way as a reminder of what they've done.
Show threadjwcFeb 12, 2025
@annaleen Wow. “Equity” at the spook agencies refers to the time and effort put into developing a source or method. Just going to delete those files?
Show threadMichael HelmFeb 12, 2025
@annaleen I guess we have to come up with Newspeak versions of these words, may be more pidgin like:
diversity - manyness many-is
equality - samestuff
inclusion - yougoin
privilege - gobefore
Show threadMichael HelmFeb 12, 2025

@annaleen Or maybe rhyming slang
diversity - Trump University -> trump
inclusion - blood transfusion -> blood
equality - lunar inequality (!) -> moon?

trump blood moon. Hmm.

It takes a special brain and a code book for this!

Show threadMark OtwayFeb 12, 2025
@annaleen
Nice redundancy in banning gender twice.
Show threadecharlieFeb 12, 2025
@annaleen plus, what are they going to do with all the math PhDs they hire, who keep talking about proving equalities, and things being included in sets? Or the translators working in languages with idk, gendered pronouns and articles?
Show threadMinnesota Spy ClubFeb 12, 2025

@annaleen

The stunning banned word in this list is "bias." No researcher can write a legitimate document without acknowledging the biases that may have swayed the collection and interpretation of data. It is an absurdity to not discuss biases.

And banning all these other words is just as horrifying.

#Lysenkoism

Show threadM.S. Bellows, Jr.Feb 12, 2025
@MNSpy @annaleen And the people implementing the order to delete all these pages might think they're being helpful if they parse out the uses of those words that don't actually implicate DEI – but that would be a mistake. One of the strategies highlighted in the CIA's Simple Sabotage Field Manual is "malicious compliance." If ordered to do something stupid, do it as stupidly as possible! If ordered to eliminate every document with a certain word, eliminate every document with that word even if they're completely irrelevant! #TheOnlyWayOutIsThrough
Show thread̶s̶e̶t̶h̶ ̶ ̶Feb 12, 2025
@annaleen I bet whoever wanted to ban confirmation bias believed it needed to be done, ignored contrary evidence, and later found they were right all along.
Show threadYurkshireLadFeb 12, 2025
@annaleen republicans must have a really hard time booking a vacation at an all-inclusive Caribbean resort.
Show threadjohnaldisFeb 12, 2025
@annaleen Just wondering… How is this list being distributed in the NSA to the people doing the deletions? 🤔
Show threadkaiyouFeb 12, 2025
@annaleen
Show threadBruce Heerssen Feb 12, 2025
@annaleen
The first two words on the list imply that "pro-racism" would be acceptable.
Show threadStephen CollinsFeb 19, 2025
@annaleen they're telling on themselves, aren't they?