US State Department shuts down disinformation agency as funding extension fails

The US State Department confirmed on December 24 that the Global Engagement Center (GEC), an agency tasked with countering foreign disinformation, has ceased its operations after Congress failed to approve an extension of its funding.

The closure represents a notable change in the United States' approach to countering foreign propaganda, especially from rivals such as Russia and China, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Established in 2016, the GEC had an annual budget of $61 million and employed around 120 staff. Its dissolution comes amid growing concerns from officials and experts about the rising threats of disinformation campaigns from nations such as Russia and China. For the first time in eight years, the State Department is without a dedicated office focused on tracking and countering such activities.

A provision to extend GEC’s funding was removed from the final version of the bipartisan federal spending bill, which passed through Congress last week. This decision followed years of criticism, particularly from Republican lawmakers who accused the agency of overstepping its mandate, including allegations of censorship and surveillance of American citizens.

The GEC had also faced criticism from prominent figures such as Elon Musk, who in 2023 described the agency as a "threat to democracy" and the "worst offender in US government censorship."

Despite the shutdown, the State Department has indicated it is in talks with Congress about potential next steps. The department did not clarify the future of GEC’s staff or ongoing projects.

The closure of the GEC comes after a series of initiatives aimed at addressing disinformation on the global stage. In June, the agency launched the Ukraine Communications Group, a multinational initiative based in Warsaw designed to counter Russian disinformation related to the war in Ukraine.

In a 2023 report, the GEC highlighted China’s growing influence in spreading disinformation, warning that the country was spending billions globally to undermine freedom of speech.

By Aghakazim Guliyev