America First Legal has uncovered disturbing evidence of a coordinated government censorship scheme involving USAID and the Global Engagement Center that may have violated Americans’ First Amendment rights through sophisticated AI tools and international partnerships.
Quick Takes
- USAID and the State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC) coordinated with foreign governments and private media firms to develop censorship strategies
- Documents reveal use of AI tools to identify and suppress content labeled as “misinformation,” “disinformation,” and “malinformation”
- The State Department closed the GEC in December 2024 following congressional investigations
- NewsGuard and Poynter Institute received federal funding despite their role in content moderation
- AFL obtained over 200 pages of documents through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit exposing the operation
Government Censorship Collaboration Exposed
America First Legal (AFL) has released over 200 pages of documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit that appear to reveal a coordinated censorship operation between the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Global Engagement Center (GEC). These documents suggest that federal agencies worked alongside the British Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office and private media organizations to control narratives and potentially suppress free speech under the guise of combating misinformation. The operation specifically targeted content related to COVID-19, elections, and other politically sensitive topics that government officials deemed problematic.
According to the documents, this coordination went beyond mere information-sharing. Internal communications revealed USAID’s “Disinformation Primer,” which praised private sector censorship strategies. Through these partnerships, government agencies apparently deployed sophisticated AI tools to identify, track, and potentially suppress certain narratives. The GEC, which received significant federal funding, was particularly active in these efforts before being shuttered in December 2024 following intense congressional scrutiny of its operations and apparent mission creep into domestic speech regulation.
/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
Private Companies as Government Censorship Partners
At the center of this operation were private firms like NewsGuard Technologies and the Poynter Institute, which received substantial government funding. NewsGuard, which rates news websites based on perceived reliability and misinformation, demonstrated its “Misinformation Fingerprints” project to government officials. This tool uses AI and machine learning algorithms to identify and track what it considers misinformation across online platforms. Park Advisors received over $6 million from the GEC, subsequently distributing subawards to NewsGuard, the Atlantic Council, and other organizations engaged in media monitoring and content evaluation.
“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.
Both NewsGuard and the Poynter Institute have vigorously denied engaging in censorship activities, maintaining that their work focuses on providing information and supporting independent journalism. However, the AFL documents suggest these organizations participated in creating the “Disinfo Cloud,” a platform reportedly used by various governments to counter what they classified as propaganda and disinformation. This raises serious questions about whether taxpayer dollars funded systems that could potentially infringe upon constitutionally protected speech of American citizens.
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
Constitutional Concerns and First Amendment Implications
The revealed collaboration between government agencies and private organizations presents significant First Amendment concerns. AFL’s investigation highlighted an apparent lack of safeguards to prevent federal resources from being used for technologies with domestic impacts. The GEC collaborated on risk analysis programs to monitor “disinformation” narratives related to elections, both foreign and potentially domestic. Of particular concern was the sharing of alleged “malinformation” – factually accurate information presented in a misleading context – from U.S. Department of State emails to UK government officials.
This operation raises fundamental questions about government boundaries in the digital age. While combating foreign propaganda and malicious disinformation campaigns falls within legitimate national security interests, the apparent blurring of lines between foreign and domestic speech regulation threatens core constitutional protections. USAID has since been integrated into the State Department during the Trump administration following revelations of controversial expenditures, and now faces renewed scrutiny about its role in what critics characterize as government-backed censorship infrastructure targeting American discourse.
