Rubio Shutters Disinformation Office, Alleges Censorship of Americans
WASHINGTON (Yuvoice) April 16, 2025 — Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday the closure of the State Department’s office for countering foreign disinformation, alleging it had crossed a constitutional line by censoring Americans.
The office, known as the Global Engagement Center (GEC) and more recently rebranded as the Bureau of Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (R/FIMI), was created to identify and counter foreign propaganda campaigns by adversaries such as Russia, China and Iran.
Rubio, who took office as Secretary of State in January, said the bureau had “spent millions of dollars to actively silence and censor the voices of Americans they were supposed to be serving.” He called the effort “inconceivable” in a free society.
The closure follows growing criticism from conservative lawmakers and figures who claim the bureau targeted domestic media and social media accounts, particularly those critical of U.S. foreign policy. Elon Musk, in 2023, called the center “the worst offender” of government censorship.
Rubio did not provide specific evidence that the bureau directly censored Americans. Former officials defended the office’s work, saying its mission was to expose and counter foreign influence operations—not to monitor or suppress U.S. citizens.
Democratic and some Republican lawmakers warned the closure could weaken U.S. efforts to combat digital influence operations by foreign adversaries. “This is the exact wrong time to abandon the field,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said in a statement.
The decision underscores a broader political divide over how to confront foreign disinformation without infringing on civil liberties. While critics see the bureau as overreaching, supporters argue that dismantling it leaves the U.S. more vulnerable to coordinated manipulation campaigns.
The State Department said remaining disinformation monitoring functions will be reassigned, but did not provide details.
