The US closes office that combated Russian, Chinese, and Iranian disinformation

The Global Engagement Center of the US State Department, which worked to combat misinformation from nations like China, Iran, and Russia, has been closed by Washington. On April 16, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserted that the center suppressed free expression both domestically and internationally.

The State Department has shut down its office, which was tasked with dealing with disinformation that Russia, China, and Iran have been accused of spreading, AP reported.

Conservatives have frequently criticized the center for pointing out media and web articles that it claims are biased or inaccurate. It has occasionally pointed out American social media profiles and websites that it claimed were spreading false information, especially over the war between Russia and Ukraine.

In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed he had shut down the Global Engagement Center because it had taken steps to suppress free speech both domestically and internationally.

Rubio charged that the office sought “to actively silence and censor the voices of Americans they were supposed to be serving” and asserted that “it is the responsibility of every government official to continuously work to preserve and protect the freedom for Americans to exercise their free speech.”

That is “antithetical” to the values that “we should be upholding,” according to Rubio. The center’s efforts were backed by Congress and former State Department officials.

In a post on X, former State Department spokesperson Ned Price stated, “This is a deeply misleading (and) unserious portrayal of an organization focused on identifying foreign—primarily Russian—disinformation ops.”

The State Department’s official website says that the Global Engagement Center closed on December 23, 2024.

The action comes after the center was criticized by Republicans for years. In early 2023, billionaire Elon Musk, who currently serves as the chairman of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and advises US President Donald Trump, referred to the GEC as “the worst offender in U.S. government censorship (and) media manipulation.”

One project concentrated on a major Russian disinformation effort in Africa called the “African Initiative,” which aimed at undermining trust in a US-funded health program in the area. To disseminate conspiracy theories via biased news websites, Telegram channels, and social media, Russia enlisted journalists, bloggers, and public figures.

In June 2024, the GEC assisted in the development of the Ukraine Communications Group, a Warsaw-based international effort supported by the European External Action Service, NATO, and more than 20 nations to combat Russian disinformation about Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The National Endowment for Democracy estimates that Russia spends $1.5 billion a year on influence activities abroad. According to Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský, Moscow is thought to be responsible for 80% of such activities in Europe alone.