Documents released by America First Legal expose a government-backed censorship operation involving USAID and the State Department’s Global Engagement Center, raising serious constitutional concerns about federal agencies’ role in silencing American citizens.
Key Takeaways
- America First Legal uncovered over 200 pages of documents revealing coordination between USAID and the Global Engagement Center to combat alleged “misinformation” through partnerships with private censorship organizations.
- The operation involved collaboration with British government officials and media rating firms like NewsGuard and Poynter to monitor, flag, and suppress speech deemed problematic.
- Federal agencies used AI-powered censorship tools to track and combat content related to COVID-19, elections, and other politically sensitive topics.
- The State Department closed the Global Engagement Center in December 2024 following congressional investigations into its censorship activities.
- Both NewsGuard and Poynter have denied engaging in censorship, maintaining they only provided information tools and journalism training.
Government Censorship Operation Exposed
A trove of documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by America First Legal (AFL) has uncovered what the organization describes as a comprehensive censorship scheme orchestrated by federal agencies. The records reveal coordination between the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC) to monitor and suppress speech under the guise of combating “misinformation,” “disinformation,” and “malinformation.” This operation reportedly extended beyond U.S. borders through partnerships with the British Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office and various media organizations.
According to the released documents, USAID’s internal “Disinformation Primer” praised private sector censorship strategies while the GEC distributed over $6 million to organizations including NewsGuard Technologies and the Atlantic Council. These funds supported projects like NewsGuard’s “Misinformation Fingerprints,” which utilized artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to identify and flag content deemed problematic. The operation specifically targeted narratives related to COVID-19, elections, and other politically sensitive topics.
/2 The documents reveal the Global Engagement Center (GEC), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the UK government, and media groups working together to conduct mass censorship under the guise of “misinformation,” “disinformation,” and “malinformation.” pic.twitter.com/PJnj3exWzu
— America First Legal (@America1stLegal) March 20, 2025
Extensive Network of Information Control
The documents highlight how federal agencies worked with private organizations to create monitoring systems for tracking information across various platforms. One such system was the “Disinfo Cloud,” a platform used by multiple governments to counter what they classified as propaganda and disinformation. AFL also revealed evidence that U.S. Department of State emails containing alleged “malinformation” were shared with UK government officials, raising concerns about international cooperation in suppressing American speech.
“The partnership between USAID and the Global Engagement Center is bad news for the American people. Add in the fact that they were coordinating with internet censorship enforcers at NewsGuard and Poynter, and you can start to see just how dangerous this unholy alliance is for free speech and free expression. Thankfully, the GEC is shuttered and USAID is being exposed — but lawmakers should take note of this example as they consider legislation to ensure the federal government actually serves American principles and interests,” said Andrew Block, AFL senior counsel.
The GEC and USAID jointly developed risk analysis programs to monitor narratives in both foreign countries and domestic sources. One example revealed in the documents was their tracking of content related to the 2020 presidential elections in Moldova. Critics argue that these tools, once developed for foreign application, were ultimately turned toward American citizens with inadequate safeguards to prevent domestic censorship impacts.
Mike Benz show proof on Joe Rogan that American taxpayers paid for both the Covid Pandemic and our own Covid Censorship with USAID money
“I always say when it's too dirty for the CIA, you give to USAID”
“This is Internews with a worldwide media octopus sponsored a half a… pic.twitter.com/cqSKC3nXc6
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) March 22, 2025
Denials and Accountability
Both NewsGuard and the Poynter Institute have firmly denied engaging in censorship activities. NewsGuard representatives stated their organization merely provides credibility ratings for news sources based on journalistic standards, while Poynter maintained their programs focused on improving journalism skills in foreign countries. However, AFL and other critics point to emails and documents suggesting these organizations worked with federal agencies to identify and suppress specific narratives deemed problematic.
Following congressional investigations into its activities, the State Department closed the Global Engagement Center in December 2024. USAID itself has been integrated into the State Department during the Trump administration after revelations of questionable expenditures. AFL continues to pursue additional records and legal action, arguing that federal agencies overstepped constitutional boundaries by engaging in censorship of protected speech. The documents offer a rare glimpse into the extensive coordination between government agencies, foreign partners, and private organizations in efforts to control information flows.
