Overview

• The Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference hub (R/FIMI), formerly the Global Engagement Center (GEC), has been officially closed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
• All 30 full-time staff at R/FIMI have been placed on leave, with their positions eliminated, marking the end of an eight-year effort to counter foreign disinformation.
• The GEC, originally created in 2011 to combat terrorist propaganda, faced criticism for allegedly funding third-party groups to classify domestic speech as misinformation.
• Congress defunded the GEC in December 2024, citing concerns over censorship allegations, leading to its rebranding as R/FIMI by the Biden administration before its ultimate closure.
• The closure leaves the State Department without a dedicated office to address foreign disinformation campaigns from adversaries like Russia, China, and Iran.