{"id":2424354,"date":"2025-04-16T16:46:02","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T20:46:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/state-department-announces-closure-of-censorship-hub\/"},"modified":"2025-04-16T16:47:33","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T20:47:33","slug":"state-department-announces-closure-of-censorship-hub","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/state-department-announces-closure-of-censorship-hub\/","title":{"rendered":"State Department announces closure of \u2018censorship\u2019 hub"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/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%2Fstate-department-announces-closure-of-censorship-hub%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=2424354&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--><p>The U.S. State Department is shutting down its Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and interference (R\/FIMI) Hub, a division that was responsible for monitoring and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/macron-threatens-to-hold-accountable-online-outlets-publishing-foreign-propaganda\/\" title=\"Macron Threatens to Hold &#039;Accountable&#039; Online Outlets Publishing Foreign &#039;Propaganda\u2019\">countering foreign disinformation<\/a>. All <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-the-pta-sold-out-parents-for-politics-during-schools-biggest-crisis\/\" title=\"How The PTA Sold Out Parents For Politics During Schools\u2019 Biggest Crisis\">full-time staff<\/a> assigned to this office have been placed on administrative leave as a part of this process. This move follows the controversial legacy of its predecessor, the Global Engagement Center (GEC), known for engaging in what critics labeled as censorship, particularly against conservative voices. Secretary Marco Rubio emphasized that the R\/FIMI office cost taxpayers over $50 million annually and worked against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/did-joe-rogan-just-end-twitter-rogan-announces-hes-joined-twitter-competitor-gettr\/\" title=\"\u2018Did Joe Rogan Just End Twitter?\u2019: Rogan Announces He\u2019s Joined Twitter Competitor GETTR\">free speech principles<\/a>,which he intends to uphold. The closure will result in the termination of the remaining 40 employees,reducing the staff significantly from the previous 125 at GEC. The State Department has a 15-day window to notify Congress about the budget and funding reassignment involved in this restructuring.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">State Department announces closure of &lsquo;censorship&rsquo; hub<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1908754\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The U.S.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/state-department\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">State Department<\/a>&nbsp;has reportedly placed all full-time staff who were&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3274279\/state-department-documents-reveal-secret-plans-censorship-new-hub\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">previously reshuffled to a remnant<\/a>&nbsp;of what critics call its censorship office on administrative leave as the agency moves to gut the government arm altogether.<\/p>\n<p>Known as the Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (R\/FIMI) Hub, the soon-to-be dismantled small outfit within the State Department&rsquo;s Office of Public Diplomacy currently monitors, flags, and counters content deemed &ldquo;foreign disinformation.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3382551\/watch-live-white-house-press-briefing-special-guest\/\">WATCH LIVE: White House holds press briefing with &#8216;special guest&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3382497\/senate-incumbents-millions-marquee-2026-races\/\">Senate incumbents haul in millions ahead of marquee 2026 races<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3382151\/trump-administration-install-miles-buoys-river-us-mexico-border\/\">Trump administration to install 17 miles of buoys in river at US-Mexico border<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>R\/FIMI was created after its predecessor, the Global Engagement Center (GEC), was&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3266181\/funding-global-engagement-center-cut-spending-bill-gop-backlash\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">forced to sunset<\/a>&nbsp;in December 2024 following a number of First Amendment lawsuits. GEC, which was established by then-President Barack Obama via executive order, had a history of awarding grants to groups accused of censoring conservatives and trying to demonetize right<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-york-times-wildly-distorts-state-bills-banning-critical-race-theory-claims-republicans-want-to-stop-teaching-slavery-and-racism\/\" title=\"New York Times Wildly Distorts State Bills Banning Critical Race Theory, Claims Republicans Want To Stop Teaching Slavery And Racism\">-leaning media outlets<\/a> in the U.S.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/finance\/2773271\/disinformation-inc-state-department-bankrolls-group-secretly-blacklisting-conservative-media\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">DISINFORMATION INC: STATE DEPARTMENT BANKROLLS GROUP SECRETLY BLACKLISTING CONSERVATIVE MEDIA<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio confirmed the impending closure of R\/FIMI&rsquo;s office in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/protecting-and-championing-free-speech-at-the-state-department\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">a Wednesday statement<\/a>&nbsp;on &ldquo;Protecting and Championing Free Speech at the State Department.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Under the previous administration, this office, which cost taxpayers more than $50 million per year, spent millions of dollars to actively silence and censor the voices of Americans they were supposed to be serving,&rdquo; Rubio said. &ldquo;This is antithetical to the very principles we should be upholding and inconceivable it was taking place in America. That ends today. Under the administration of President Trump, we will always work to protect the rights of the American people, and this is an important step in continuing to fulfill that commitment.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>State Department official Darren Beattie, the acting undersecretary for public diplomacy, announced R\/FIMI&rsquo;s shutdown and the eventual termination of all remaining positions at a meeting Wednesday morning, sources told&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.technologyreview.com\/2025\/04\/16\/1115256\/us-office-that-counters-foreign-disinformation-is-being-eliminated-say-officials\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MIT Technology Review<\/a><\/em>. R\/FIMI employees reportedly received an email inviting them to an 11:15 a.m. conference with Beattie where they were informed that the office, as well as their jobs, are being eliminated.<\/p>\n<p>Now, the remaining 40 staffers, which had fallen from 125 employed at GEC, will be put on administrative leave until they are terminated within 30 days, sources told&nbsp;<em>MIT Technology Review<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>As for the office&rsquo;s $50 million annual budget allocated by Congress, pursuant to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/crs-product\/R47600\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a provision of the Consolidated Appropriations Act<\/a>, the State Department has 15 days to notify Congress of funding reassignments, which it must do in advance of any programming shake-ups that exceed $1 million. The appropriations committees can then respond, ask questions, and challenge the changes accordingly.<\/p>\n<p>On X, the Foundation For Freedom Online&rsquo;s executive director Mike Benz&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MikeBenzCyber\/status\/1912530034687893665\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">reported<\/a>&nbsp;that the State Department delivered advance notice to Congress.<\/p>\n<p>According to Benz, this move will permanently end the positions at R\/FIMI, so there is no more restructuring or rebranding of the office to carry out the same &ldquo;malign censorship efforts.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3292730\/all-executive-orders-actions-trump-first-day\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FULL LIST OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS, ACTIONS, AND PROCLAMATIONS TRUMP HAS MADE AS PRESIDENT<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Prior to President Donald Trump taking office,&nbsp;the<em> Washington Examiner<\/em>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3274279\/state-department-documents-reveal-secret-plans-censorship-new-hub\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">uncovered<\/a>&nbsp;the State Department&rsquo;s secret plans to resurrect GEC and shoehorn its operations into the newly &ldquo;realigned&rdquo; R\/FIMI hub.<\/p>\n<p>In December 2023,&nbsp;<em>The Federalist<\/em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>The Daily Wire&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2640919\/state-department-faces-lawsuit-from-conservative-media-over-funding-censorship-scheme\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sued<\/a>&nbsp;the GEC for funding media moderators, such as NewsGuard, which&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsguardtech.com\/press\/newsguard-wins-pentagon-state-department-contest-for-detecting-covid-19-misinformation-and-disinformation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rate<\/a>&nbsp;the so-called &ldquo;misinformation&rdquo; levels of news outlets. According to the complaint, the GEC facilitated state-sponsored censorship of the American press, specifically voices on the Right, allegedly as part of a scheme to suppress disfavored speech.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1908754\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1908754\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>State Department to close &#8216;censorship&#8217; hub, staff placed on leave<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3767,"featured_media":2424355,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AP25034646203788-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[6371,5045,46503,46536,32895],"class_list":["post-2424354","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-censorship","tag-government","tag-media-freedom","tag-news-announcement","tag-state-department"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AP25034646203788-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2424354","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\/3767"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2424354"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2424354\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2424358,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2424354\/revisions\/2424358"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2424355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2424354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2424354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2424354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}