The Trader Harbor
  • Business
  • Politics
  • World News
  • Stocks
  • Business
  • Politics
  • World News
  • Stocks

The Trader Harbor

Politics

State Department’s ‘Global Engagement Center’ accused of censoring Americans shuts its doors

by admin December 27, 2024
December 27, 2024
State Department’s ‘Global Engagement Center’ accused of censoring Americans shuts its doors

The State Department’s foreign disinformation center, accused by conservatives of censoring U.S. citizens, shut its doors due to lack of funding this week. 

Elon Musk had deemed the Global Engagement Center (GEC), established in 2016, the ‘worst offender in U.S. government censorship & media manipulation,’ and its funding was stripped as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the Pentagon’s yearly policy bill. 

‘The Global Engagement Center will terminate by operation of law [by the end of the day] on December 23, 2024,’ a State Department spokesperson said in a statement. ‘The Department of State has consulted with Congress regarding next steps.’

Lawmakers had originally included funding for the GEC in its continuing resolution (CR), or bill to fund the government beyond a Friday deadline. But conservatives balked at that iteration of the funding bill, and it was rewritten without money for the GEC and other funding riders.

The agency had a budget of around $61 million and 120 people on staff. 

At a time when adversaries like Iran and Russia sow disinformation throughout the world, Republicans saw little value in the agency’s work, arguing that much of its disinformation analysis is already offered by the private sector. 

The GEC, according to reporter Matt Taibbi, ‘funded a secret list of subcontractors and helped pioneer an insidious—and idiotic—new form of blacklisting’ during the pandemic. 

Taibbi wrote last year when exposing the Twitter Files that the GEC ‘flagged accounts as ‘Russian personas and proxies’ based on criteria like, ‘Describing the Coronavirus as an engineered bioweapon,’ blaming ‘research conducted at the Wuhan institute,’ and ‘attributing the appearance of the virus to the CIA.’’ 

‘State also flagged accounts that retweeted news that Twitter banned the popular U.S. website ZeroHedge, claiming that it ‘led to another flurry of disinformation narratives.” ZeroHedge had made reports speculating that the virus had a lab origin.

The GEC is part of the State Department but also partners with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Special Operations Command and the Department of Homeland Security. The GEC also funds the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab).

DFRLab Director Graham Brookie previously denied the claim that they use tax money to track Americans, saying its GEC grants have ‘an exclusively international focus.’

A 2024 report from the Republican-led House Small Business Committee criticized the GEC for awarding grants to organizations whose work includes tracking domestic as well as foreign misinformation and rating the credibility of U.S.-based publishers, according to the Washington Post. 

The lawsuit was brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Daily Wire and the Federalist, who sued the State Department, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other government officials earlier this month for ‘engaging in a conspiracy to censor, deplatform and demonetize American media outlets disfavored by the federal government.’

The lawsuit stated that the GEC was used as a tool for the defendants to carry out its censorship. 

​​’Congress authorized the creation of the Global Engagement Center expressly to counter foreign propaganda and misinformation,’ the Texas Attorney General’s Office said in a press release. ‘Instead, the agency weaponized this authority to violate the First Amendment and suppress Americans’ constitutionally-protected speech. 

The complaint describes the State Department’s project as ‘one of the most egregious government operations to censor the American press in the history of the nation.’’

The lawsuit argued that The Daily Wire, The Federalist and other conservative news organizations were branded ‘unreliable’ or ‘risky’ by the agency, ‘starving them of advertising revenue and reducing the circulation of their reporting and speech—all as a direct result of [the State Department’s] unlawful censorship scheme.’

Meanwhile, America First Legal, headed up by Stephen Miller, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for deputy chief of staff for policy, revealed that the GEC had used taxpayer dollars to create a video game called ‘Cat Park’ to ‘Inoculate Youth Against Disinformation’ abroad. 

The game ‘inoculates players . . . by showing how sensational headlines, memes, and manipulated media can be used to advance conspiracy theories and incite real-world violence,’ according to a memo obtained by America First Legal. 

Mike Benz, the executive director at the Foundation For Freedom Online, said the game was ‘anti-populist’ and pushed certain political beliefs instead of protecting Americans from foreign disinformation, accordig to the Tennessee Star.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to failing to elect a House speaker quickly
next post
Quantum Computing Stocks: Why You Should Invest in Them Now

Related Posts

Biden interview audio reveals who brought up Beau’s...

May 18, 2025

Democrat Congresswoman draws boos over ‘shameful’ sexism remark...

June 12, 2025

GOP Sen. Joni Ernst officially backs Pete Hegseth...

January 15, 2025

Hegseth says US to boost ties with Philippines...

March 28, 2025

Donald Trump Jr takes personal trip to Greenland...

January 7, 2025

Biden’s team hid the truth about his health...

April 12, 2025

Digital Social Security cards coming this summer

June 10, 2025

Tim Walz ‘misspoke’ about using weapons ‘in war,’...

August 10, 2024

‘Colonies problem’: Delegate’s mic cut after outcry during...

January 4, 2025

Israeli forces seize documents that reveal Hamas plan...

October 15, 2024

    Stay updated with the latest news, exclusive offers, and special promotions. Sign up now and be the first to know! As a member, you'll receive curated content, insider tips, and invitations to exclusive events. Don't miss out on being part of something special.


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Latest

    • The Real Drivers of This Market: AI, Semis & Robotics

      July 21, 2025
    • What Musk’s fracture with Trump means for GOP’s future: ‘Beating heart of the Republican Party’

      July 21, 2025
    • Trump’s housing chief rips Powell for blowing millions on Fed facelift during housing crisis he perpetuates

      July 21, 2025
    • Trump celebrates 6 months back in office: US ‘totally revived’ after being ‘DEAD’ under Biden

      July 21, 2025
    • Biden admin spent hefty sum of US tax dollars to upgrade embassy swimming pools in Iraq, Russia

      July 21, 2025
    • Trump heads to Scotland, continues ironing out trade deals after notching six months back in office

      July 21, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (1,299)
    • Politics (4,040)
    • Stocks (1,535)
    • Uncategorized (45)
    • World News (1,292)
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: TheTraderHarbor, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 thetraderharbor.com | All Rights Reserved