State Department Dismantles Disinformation Office Amidst Censorship Allegations

Washington D.C. – The U.S. State Department has officially dismantled its Global Engagement Center (GEC) and its successor office, the Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (R/FIMI), following accusations that the entities engaged in censorship and targeted domestic news organizations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the closure of R/FIMI in April 2025, stating it had "spent millions of dollars to actively silence and censor the voices of Americans they were supposed to be serving."

The legislative authority for the GEC, initially established to counter foreign propaganda, expired on December 23, 2024, after Congress declined to extend its mandate. The office was subsequently reorganized into R/FIMI before its complete shutdown. The move comes amid significant scrutiny and lawsuits alleging the GEC funded and promoted organizations like NewsGuard and the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), which critics claim created "exclusion lists" to blacklist and defund conservative media outlets.

Journalist Paul Sperry highlighted the development in a recent social media post, stating, "State Dept has officially dismantled its Global Engagement Center office which used leftist-backed NewsGuard and Global Disinformation Index to censor/blacklist The Daily Wire, Federalist and other news sites." Sperry also indicated that "GEC files will be released like Twitter Files over coming wks," suggesting forthcoming disclosures related to the center's operations.

Conservative media organizations, including The Daily Wire and The Federalist, along with the State of Texas, filed a lawsuit against the State Department, alleging that the GEC's support for NewsGuard and GDI infringed upon their First Amendment rights. These organizations reportedly suffered significant drops in ad revenue and visibility due to the "risk ratings" and "dynamic exclusion lists" provided to advertisers. Secretary Rubio echoed these concerns, emphasizing that the best way to counter disinformation is through free speech, not government-backed suppression.

The closure of the GEC and R/FIMI marks a significant victory for critics who argued the offices had overstepped their original mission of countering foreign threats and instead focused on domestic speech. While some lawmakers and officials supported the GEC's role in combating foreign disinformation, the mounting allegations of domestic censorship ultimately led to its demise, prompting calls for greater transparency and safeguards against similar government actions in the future.