The U.S. State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC) has officially discontinued operations.
Following numerous controversies and a cut in funding through the National Defense Authorization Act, the GEC ceased functioning as of December 23, 2024, Fox News reported.
The GEC created in 2016 to combat global disinformation, has recently become central to heated debates on domestic censorship by the U.S. government. Conservative figures such as Elon Musk accused the agency of engaging in government overreach and media manipulation.
The termination of the GEC’s funding was a significant step taken within the latest NDAA. This action comes after conservative lawmakers challenged the continuation of its budget, which was around $61 million annually. The center, prior to its closure, employed about 120 staff members.
The State Department spokesperson explained that the GEC was concluded by operation of law and that there are ongoing discussions regarding future steps without the GEC’s operational capabilities.
Moreover, the Global Engagement Center's involvement with various security and intelligence agencies like the FBI, CIA, and NSA had expanded its role in national security, though it faced criticism for potentially overstepping its bounds into areas affecting U.S. citizens.
Among the more controversial endeavors of the GEC was the development of a video game titled "Cat Park", intended to educate youth about disinformation. Critics like Mike Benz, the executive director at the Foundation for Freedom Online, argued that the game propagated specific political beliefs under the guise of education.
Entities including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and conservative media outlets The Daily Wire and The Federalist lodged a lawsuit in response to perceived overreaches. They alleged that the GEC encroached on free speech through its actions.
Journalist Matt Taibbi highlighted how the GEC designated accounts for censorship based on their portrayal of sensitive topics, such as the origins of COVID-19 and other geopolitical issues. However, Graham Brookie, director of the DFRLab, clarified that the GEC designed its grants to maintain a strictly international focus.
Documents revealed in the Twitter Files, as reported by Matt Taibbi, suggested that the GEC had engaged in creating blacklists and directly influencing public perceptions on various global and domestic affairs. Texas Attorney General’s Office pointed out that the agency misused its powers to suppress constitutionally protected speech.
Elon Musk denounced the GEC as the "worst offender in U.S. government censorship & media manipulation," signifying the broad spectrum of criticism the center faced from prominent public figures and organizations concerned with freedom of speech.
Reflecting on the operation and impact of the GEC, it appears its initiatives to fend off foreign disinformation inadvertently entangled domestic narratives, raising significant debates over the extents of government intervention in public discourse.
While the closure of the Global Engagement Center marks the end of its controversial activities, the discussions and repercussions of its methods, aims, and the legal and public backlash it inspired, continue to influence U.S. policy and public trust in governmental operations. Efforts to address disinformation continue but the specter of the GEC’s methods will likely inform future U.S. strategies on handling information warfare.
