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

The State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC), a target of conservative criticism for alleged censorship of U.S. citizens, closed this week due to a funding cutoff.

The center, established in 2016 to counter foreign disinformation, was defunded as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Elon Musk previously called the GEC the "worst offender in U.S. government censorship & media manipulation."

A State Department spokesperson confirmed that the GEC officially ceased operations on December 23, 2024, with consultations underway with Congress about next steps. The agency had employed 120 staff and operated on a $61 million budget.

Originally, lawmakers had included funding for the GEC in a continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown. However, opposition from conservatives led to its removal from the final bill.

Republicans questioned the agency's value amid global disinformation threats, arguing that private sector capabilities made the GEC redundant. Critics like journalist Matt Taibbi accused the GEC of blacklisting during the pandemic, flagging accounts for claims about COVID-19 origins and amplifying narratives tied to banned websites like ZeroHedge.

The GEC, while part of the State Department, collaborated with the FBI, CIA, NSA, DARPA, DHS, and military agencies, and also funded initiatives like the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab). The DFRLab denied claims that its GEC-funded efforts tracked Americans, asserting its work focused internationally.

A 2024 House Small Business Committee report criticized the GEC for funding organizations that tracked both domestic and foreign misinformation and rated U.S. publishers’ credibility. This scrutiny fueled a lawsuit from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, The Daily Wire, and The Federalist, accusing the GEC and other officials of censoring conservative media.

The lawsuit alleged that the GEC’s actions violated the First Amendment, branding conservative outlets "unreliable" and undermining their advertising revenue and reach. The Texas Attorney General’s Office described the GEC's operations as "one of the most egregious government censorship schemes in U.S. history."

Additional controversy surrounded a taxpayer-funded GEC initiative: a video game called Cat Park, designed to "inoculate youth against disinformation" by illustrating how manipulated media can spread conspiracy theories and incite violence. Critics argued the game pushed political agendas rather than addressing foreign disinformation.

Mike Benz of the Foundation for Freedom Online labeled the game "anti-populist," suggesting it promoted specific political ideologies under the guise of combating disinformation.