{"id":2117055,"date":"2023-12-06T01:33:02","date_gmt":"2023-12-06T06:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/daily-wire-and-the-federalist-sue-biden-state-department-over-censorship-effort\/"},"modified":"2023-12-06T01:39:09","modified_gmt":"2023-12-06T06:39:09","slug":"daily-wire-and-the-federalist-sue-biden-state-department-over-censorship-effort","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/daily-wire-and-the-federalist-sue-biden-state-department-over-censorship-effort\/","title":{"rendered":"Daily Wire and The Federalist file lawsuit against Biden State Department for censorship attempt"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdaily-wire-and-the-federalist-sue-biden-state-department-over-censorship-effort%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2117055&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The Daily Wire, The Federalist, \u200band Texas Sue U.S. State Department Over \u2064Alleged Funding \u2064of Censorship Technology<\/h2>\n<p>In a\u200b bold move, The Daily\u200d Wire, The Federalist, and the state of Texas have\u2064 joined forces to file a lawsuit against the \u2062U.S.\u2064 State Department. The lawsuit,\u200b which can be found <a href=\"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2023\/12\/DailyWire-v-State-final.pdf\">here<\/a>, accuses the government agency of funding censorship technology that aims to bankrupt domestic\u2063 media outlets with disfavored political opinions.<\/p>\n<h3>Unleashing the Global Engagement Center Against Americans<\/h3>\n<p>The lawsuit claims that the State Department, despite\u2062 having no authority over domestic affairs, misused the Global Engagement Center\u2063 (GEC) to target American citizens \u200dengaged in what it deemed as &#8220;disinformation.&#8221; The GEC, originally created to\u200c counter foreign terrorist propaganda, was allegedly used to suppress free speech within the country. Secretary of State\u200d Antony Blinken\u200b and five other officials are named \u200cas \u2062defendants in the lawsuit.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit seeks to declare the\u200b State Department&#8217;s interference with domestic\u2062 speech as illegal and permanently prevent it from developing\u2062 or promoting technology that restricts the lawful speech of the American press and its citizens.<\/p>\n<h3>From Counterterrorism to Censorship<\/h3>\n<p>The GEC, \u200cestablished in\u200d 2011 as\u2064 the Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications, was initially tasked with countering propaganda from foreign terrorists like Al Qaeda. However, the complaint alleges that it shifted its focus to Americans, using taxpayer funds to \u2064support censorship organizations such as NewsGuard and\u2063 the Global Disinformation Index (GDI). These organizations\u200c allegedly targeted \u200cconservative media outlets, including The Daily Wire and The Federalist, with\u2064 the goal of limiting \u2062their\u2062 ad revenue.<\/p>\n<p>Mark Chenoweth, representing\u200d the media outlets on behalf \u200bof the New Civil Liberties Alliance, argues that the federal \u200dgovernment cannot indirectly do what the First Amendment prohibits it from doing directly.<\/p>\n<h3>The Fight Against Disinformation<\/h3>\n<p>The\u200d GDI&#8217;s main product is a &#8220;Dynamic Exclusion List&#8221;\u2064 of media outlets deemed to present a high risk of disinformation. Advertisers use this list to avoid associating with these\u2062 outlets. Last \u200bmonth, this tactic\u200b was employed \u2062against Elon Musk, resulting in blue-chip\u200d advertisers pulling\u2062 their\u2062 ads from \u200cplatforms where they occasionally appeared near objectionable content.<\/p>\n<p>GDI claims that its mission is to eliminate the incentive for creating disinformation to generate advertising \u2064revenues.<\/p>\n<h3>Funding and Promotion by the State Department<\/h3>\n<p>The lawsuit states that GDI was funded and promoted\u200c by the\u200d State Department, leading to devastating consequences for media outlets. Another for-profit company, NewsGuard, also received funding from the State Department. NewsGuard aimed to cut off revenues to fake news sites by creating a whitelist of legitimate news sites. The Federalist\u2062 was ranked as &#8220;unreliable&#8221; by NewsGuard,\u200c while The Daily Wire\u2062 was deemed &#8220;credible with significant exceptions.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>GEC provided funding to GDI in 2021 through the U.S.-Paris Tech Challenge, \u200bawarding the organization $100,000. The State Department-funded National \u200cEndowment\u200d for Democracy also reportedly funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to GDI. However, the National Endowment for Democracy later clarified that its mandate is to work globally, not within the United States, \u2062and would no longer fund \u2062GDI.<\/p>\n<p>The State Department also co-sponsored a tech challenge \u2064focused on combating COVID-19 misinformation and disinformation, which awarded a prize to NewsGuard. NewsGuard pledged to assist the State Department by flagging COVID-related hoaxes.<\/p>\n<h3>Using Foreign\u200c Tools Against Domestic \u2064Political Opponents<\/h3>\n<p>The \u2062lawsuit argues that the government\u200d misused tools originally developed for\u200d countering foreign propaganda as weapons\u2064 against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hes-laughed-at-in-washington-trump-calls-out-tom-rice-at-south-carolina-rally\/\" title=\"'He's Laughed at in Washington': Trump Calls Out Tom Rice at South Carolina Rally\">domestic political opponents<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Texas Attorney General\u200c Ken Paxton, leading the fight against the State Department, vows to protect Americans&#8217; constitutional\u200b rights from what he calls\u200b Joe Biden&#8217;s tyrannical federal government.<\/p>\n<p>Paxton states, &#8220;The State Department&#8217;s mission to obliterate the First Amendment is completely un-American. This agency \u2063will\u200d not get away with their illegal campaign to silence citizens and \u200cpublications they disagree with.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit also claims that the State Department&#8217;s funding of censorship tools infringes on Paxton&#8217;s \u2063ability to enforce Texas&#8217; anti-censorship laws.<\/p>\n<p>The Daily\u200b Wire, in a statement\u2063 regarding the\u200b lawsuit, asserts that the Biden administration is illegally funding organizations with the goal of financially\u200b crippling\u200c media outlets that do not align with \u2062the government&#8217;s ideological agenda.\u2064 They emphasize \u200btheir commitment to fighting for the rights of all news organizations and the constitutional guarantee of a free press.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How has being labeled as &#8220;unreliable&#8221; by NewsGuard \u2062impacted the \u200drevenue and \u2062credibility of the outlet?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Nked as &#8220;unreliable&#8221; by\u200b NewsGuard,\u2064 resulting in a loss of revenue and credibility for the outlet.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit alleges that\u200b the State Department&#8217;s involvement\u200d in funding and promoting\u2062 these censorship organizations\u2064 is a violation of the\u200c First\u2062 Amendment rights of the American press and its\u2064 citizens.\u2064 It\u200c argues that \u200cthe government \u2064should\u2062 not be in the business of\u2062 determining what is considered\u200c disinformation and restricting the \u2062lawful speech of \u2064media outlets.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the lawsuit argues that \u200cthe State Department&#8217;s actions have had \u200da chilling effect on free speech, \u2062leading to self-censorship by media outlets out of\u2064 fear of losing ad revenue. This, in turn,\u2062 undermines the fundamental principles of a free \u2062and independent press.<\/p>\n<h3>The Importance of a Free Press<\/h3>\n<p>A free \u200cand independent press is essential in\u200d a democracy to hold those \u2064in power\u200b accountable and provide the public with accurate\u2064 and\u2063 unbiased information. The lawsuit filed by The Daily Wire, The Federalist, and\u200d Texas\u200d is a crucial step in safeguarding \u2063the First Amendment rights of the\u200b American press and its citizens.<\/p>\n<p>If the State Department&#8217;s \u2063actions are allowed to \u2063continue unchecked, it could set a\u200b dangerous precedent for government \u2064interference in the media and freedom \u200bof \u2063speech. It is essential that the courts address these allegations\u2062 and\u2063 affirm the importance of a\u200d free and unfettered press in our society.<\/p>\n<h3>The Legal \u200cBattle Ahead<\/h3>\n<p>The lawsuit filed by The \u200cDaily Wire,\u2064 The Federalist, and Texas\u2062 represents a \u200csignificant challenge to the State\u200c Department&#8217;s alleged funding of censorship technology. It will undoubtedly be a closely\u200b watched \u200blegal\u2064 battle, \u200bwith \u2063potentially far-reaching implications for the future of\u2063 free speech and \u200dthe role\u200d of the government \u2064in regulating the media.<\/p>\n<p>The outcome of\u2063 this lawsuit \u200bwill not only impact the \u200bnamed media outlets but also\u200b have wider implications \u200cfor the entire media landscape. It will \u200bdetermine whether the\u2064 government has the authority to dictate what \u200bis considered \u2063disinformation and restrict the lawful speech of media outlets.<\/p>\n<p>As the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oklahoma-approves-first-religious-charter-school-in-united-states\/\" title=\"First religious charter school approved in Oklahoma.\">legal battle unfolds<\/a>, it is \u200cimportant for the \u200cpublic to stay informed and \u2062engaged. The \u2064First Amendment rights of the American \u200dpress and its citizens are\u2064 at\u200b stake, and the outcome of this case will have \u2063a lasting impact on the future of free speech in our \u200dcountry.<\/p>\n<h3>Conclusion<\/h3>\n<p>The lawsuit\u2063 filed by \u200bThe Daily\u200d Wire, The Federalist, and Texas against the State \u200dDepartment \u200dis a bold move to \u200cchallenge the\u2063 alleged funding \u200bof censorship\u2064 technology that aims to suppress free\u2063 speech and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-real-conspiracy-theorists-about-u-s-elections-are-legacy-media\/\" title=\"Legacy media are the true conspiracy theorists when it comes to U.S. elections\">bankrupt media outlets<\/a> with disfavored political opinions. The\u2063 State Department&#8217;s involvement in funding and \u2063promoting censorship organizations\u2062 is a \u200dviolation of the \u2064First Amendment rights of\u200d the American\u200d press and its citizens.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2063 outcome of this \u2063lawsuit will have significant implications for the future of free speech and the role of\u2063 government in regulating the media. It is crucial that the \u2063courts address these allegations and affirm the \u2064importance \u2064of a free \u200cand unfettered\u2064 press in our society.<\/p>\n<p>The fight against disinformation should\u2062 not be used as a\u200c pretext to restrict the lawful speech of media outlets. It is the responsibility\u200c of every citizen to stand up\u2064 for the First\u200c Amendment rights and\u2062 ensure the preservation of a free and independent \u2063press \u200bin\u2062 our democracy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Daily Wire, The Federalist, and Texas filed a lawsuit accusing the U.S. State Department of funding censorship tech to financially harm domestic media with differing political views. Despite its focus on foreign relations, the State Department lacks authority over domestic matters<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128,"featured_media":2117056,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2117055","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2117055","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/128"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2117055"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2117055\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2117056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2117055"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2117055"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2117055"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}