State Department Plans New Hub Following Closure of Global Engagement Center

Documents reveal plans to reallocate staff and funding from the shuttered GEC to a new office focused on countering foreign information manipulation.

The State Department has proposed creating a 'Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Hub' after Congress defunded the controversial Global Engagement Center (GEC).
Over 50 former GEC employees and $29.4 million in funding will be redirected to the new hub, with additional funds distributed to other State Department offices.
Critics, including Republican lawmakers, allege the move is a rebranding effort to continue activities previously criticized as censorship of conservative media.
The GEC faced backlash for funding groups like the Global Disinformation Index, which targeted U.S. media outlets, and for alleged involvement in pressuring social media platforms to moderate content.
High-ranking former GEC officials have already been reassigned to senior roles within the State Department, raising further concerns about continuity of controversial practices.