The State Department is closing the Global Engagement Center (GEC), an agency created nearly a decade ago. Secretary of State Marco Rubio cited "free speech" concerns as the reason for the shutdown. The GEC faced criticism for allegedly funding groups that censored right-leaning media outlets.
Established in 2016 under the Obama administration to counter foreign terrorist propaganda, the GEC later funded entities like the Global Disinformation Index (GDI). The GDI created "exclusion" lists, labeling conservative websites as spreaders of false information. These lists pressured online platforms to avoid doing business with them.
Republicans in Congress opposed the GEC's activities and use of public funds. Congress effectively defunded the GEC in December by excluding it from a spending bill. "The best way to counter disinformation is free speech," said Rubio.