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WASHINGTON — A newly declassified government plan aimed at countering domestic terrorism outlines strategies that critics say could expand surveillance on American citizens and threaten constitutionally protected free speech.

The document, approved by federal security agencies and released in April, is part of the Biden administration’s Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) for combatting domestic terrorism. While it claims to focus on preventing violence, it includes numerous provisions that could allow the federal government to monitor online activity, flag speech it deems extremist, and collaborate with private technology companies to identify so-called threats.

Click here to read the entire report declassified by the Trump administration.

Among the most controversial aspects is a directive for federal agencies — including the FBI, DHS, DOJ, and the CIA — to collect data on Americans’ political beliefs, affiliations, and communications, especially online. The plan calls for identifying “domestic terrorist recruitment narratives” and expanding digital literacy programs to combat what it describes as “disinformation.”

The strategy includes guidance for updating security clearance forms to screen federal employees for “potential terrorism-related insider threats” based on ideology or affiliations. It also recommends increasing the use of watchlists and intelligence databases, including the potential addition of Americans without foreign ties to terrorism.

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Federal agencies are encouraged to work with social media companies to flag and monitor content related to domestic extremism. The plan even proposes creating a centralized government-run website to guide mental health professionals in identifying individuals who might pose a threat based on behavior — a measure that some warn could encourage over-reporting or politicized profiling.

Critics say the plan blurs the line between speech and criminal conduct, and opens the door to government overreach. “It’s one thing to stop violence,” said one civil liberties advocate, “but this goes far beyond that. It’s a roadmap for watching Americans based on what they say and think.”

The plan is set to be reviewed annually by a special domestic extremism task force under the National Security Council, which could recommend further expansions.