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3w ago

State Department Closes Disinformation Office, Citing Free Speech Concerns

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the shutdown of the Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference hub, leaving no dedicated office to combat foreign propaganda.

FILE - The Harry S. Truman Building, headquarters for the State Department, is seen in Washington, March 9, 2009. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Image
State Department building with sign in the foreground
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the media during a refueling stop at Shannon Airport in Shannon, Ireland, March 12, 2025, as he travels from talks with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia to attending a G7 Foreign Ministers meeting in Canada. SAUL LOEB/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

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.