SecState Rubio Kills Biden’s Disinformation Program

Secretary of State Marco Rubio demolished a controversial State Department censorship program that the Biden administration claimed was already defunct, exposing how government agencies targeted American citizens and conservative media outlets under the guise of combating foreign disinformation.

Quick Takes

Secretary Rubio shut down the Global Engagement Center (GEC) and its rebranded successor, revealing the Biden administration had secretly continued censorship operations after Congress defunded the program in 2024.
The State Department admitted its involvement in what critics call the “Censorship Industrial Complex,” funding tools like NewsGuard that blacklisted conservative media outlets including The Daily Wire and The Federalist.
A lawsuit by the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) exposed how GEC exceeded its mandate of combating foreign influence by targeting domestic speech protected by the First Amendment.
Rubio’s actions fulfill President Trump’s campaign promises to dismantle government censorship mechanisms that collaborated with social media platforms to suppress conservative voices.

Biden’s Censorship Program Continued Despite Congressional Defunding

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has officially terminated the State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC) and its rebranded successor, the Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference office. The announcement represents a significant win for free speech advocates who have long criticized these programs for targeting American citizens rather than focusing exclusively on foreign threats. The GEC was supposedly shut down when Congress refused to reauthorize its funding in 2024, but the Biden administration quietly continued its operations under a new name.

The move fulfills one of President Trump’s campaign promises to end government censorship programs that expanded dramatically during the previous administration. Critics have pointed out that while the GEC was originally created to combat foreign disinformation campaigns, it evolved into a mechanism for suppressing domestic political speech, particularly from conservative news outlets and commentators who questioned administration policies on topics ranging from COVID-19 to election security.

State Department Admits Role in “Censorship Industrial Complex”

In a stunning admission, Secretary Rubio confirmed what legal challengers have alleged: the State Department was actively involved in funding censorship technologies used against American citizens. These tools included NewsGuard and the Global Disinformation Index, which created blacklists of news organizations that diverged from government-approved narratives, effectively cutting off their ability to generate advertising revenue and reach their audiences.

“Secretary Rubio’s acknowledgement that our government abridged the free speech rights of American citizens and the American press represents a first step toward dismantling the Censorship Industrial Complex. Unfortunately, our clients continue to suffer from the blacklisting and demonetization advanced by the State Department—as do other members of the American press,” said Margot Cleveland, Of Counsel, NCLA.

The New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) lawsuit exposed how the State Department’s censorship apparatus was part of a broader initiative called the Election Integrity Partnership, which incorporated nonprofits, social media platforms, and various government agencies in coordinated censorship activities. This partnership effectively created an end-run around First Amendment protections by using third-party organizations to identify and suppress content deemed problematic.

SecState Rubio Shuts Down Censorship Program That Biden Administration Claimed Was Already Deadhttps://t.co/mWdOAPwMO7

— RedState (@RedState) April 17, 2025

Legal Challenges Continue as Victims Seek Remedies

Despite Rubio’s decisive action in dismantling these programs, many victims of government censorship continue to suffer the consequences. Media outlets targeted by State Department-funded blacklists face ongoing challenges in restoring their advertising relationships and audience reach. The NCLA has pledged to work with the Trump administration to develop safeguards that will prevent similar constitutional violations in the future.

“Secretary Rubio’s recognition of the irreparable and ongoing harm GEC and the State Department inflicted on our clients is laudable, as are his promises to put an end to this unconstitutional regime. We look forward to using the knowledge we have gained through litigating this case to help craft safeguards that ensure our clients and all Americans are protected from similar, future harm” Jenin Younes, Litigation Counsel, NCLA said.

Legal experts including Jonathan Turley have praised Secretary Rubio’s decision while expressing concern about how deeply embedded censorship mechanisms became throughout the federal government. The State Department’s involvement was particularly troubling given its mandate to focus on foreign rather than domestic affairs. Rubio’s acknowledgment that these programs violated constitutional rights marks a significant shift in how the federal government approaches information policy.

Trump Administration Rolls Back Censorship Infrastructure

The dismantling of these censorship programs represents just one component of President Trump’s broader effort to roll back what his administration views as unconstitutional overreach by federal agencies. Critics of the Biden administration have pointed to evidence that government officials pressured social media companies to remove content and suspend accounts that questioned official narratives on various issues, representing what they describe as the most extensive government censorship operation in American history.

“When NCLA first learned that the State Department was wrapped up in the Biden Administration’s censorship regime, we were incredulous. How could the State Department be involved in any domestic activity, let alone censoring Americans in violation of the First Amendment? But Secretary Rubio’s admission confirms what our suit revealed. Now we’ll see if the State Department will rectify the situation going forward for our clients,” Mark Chenoweth, President, NCLA stated.

Secretary Rubio’s decisive action signals that protecting constitutional freedoms will be a priority for American foreign policy under the current administration. With the GEC and its successor now officially disbanded, attention turns to other federal agencies that may have participated in similar censorship activities and what additional steps the administration may take to restore First Amendment protections for all Americans regardless of political affiliation.